


Between Soft Paws and Kitten Licks

by t_dragon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-15 19:56:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12327795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon
Summary: Baekhyun had not planned on getting a cat, but the pitiful, drenched little thing hiding beneath the stairway stole his heart away before he even noticed it himself.





	1. Between Soft Paws and Kitten Licks

 It was a beautiful June day when Byun Baekhyun found himself walking home instead of taking the bus.

 Or not. It was a pretty horrible day, actually, the rain coming down like bullets and the humidity making your clothes cling uncomfortably and breathing a bit heavier. And of course, Byun Baekhyun had missed the bus and was stuck in the downpour. Without an umbrella.

 Thankfully, he did not live too far from the university, and thankfully, he did have a rain jacket on. But his jeans were beyond drenched, and he suspected that he might never be able to dry his shoes completely. Which was a shame, because he really liked these shoes…

 As Baekhyun was looking down at the poor excuse for shoes he was wearing, something white darted past him, making him stumble backwards. It had disappeared beneath a staircase, and squatting down, Baekhyun peered into the dark space.

 It was white, and it was wet, and it was shivering. And when it noticed that Baekhyun was looking at it, it let out the whiniest and most pathetic meow Baekhyun had ever heard in his life.

 Baekhyun broke down in laughter after a second of shocked silence, and the cat retreated a bit further back, obviously scared by the sudden loud noise.

 “Oh, no, I’m sorry, little kitten!” Baekhyun chuckled, scooting closer and holding out a hand. “Poor little baby, being out in the rain like this… Why would your owner let you be out in this?”

 The cat slowly and carefully crept closer, hesitantly sniffing Baekhyun’s fingers. Apparently deciding that he was not a threat, the cat head-butted Baekhyun’s hand, and let him pet it.

 “Yuck, wet cat is not nice,” Baekhyun said, but he still had a soft smile on his lips. “You don’t have a collar? You don’t have an owner? And trapped outside in this rain? Oh, you poor little thing…”

 The cat had seemingly taken a liking to Baekhyun, as it kept rubbing against his hand, and Baekhyun could feel the vibrations from it purring. And the combination of pathetic meowing, cuddling and purring went straight to Baekhyun’s heart.

 Before he had really thought it through fully, Baekhyun unzipped his jacket and reached out for the cat to lift it up. It relaxed completely in his hands, until it was held in the rain, when it started to squirm, but Baekhyun quickly put it inside of his jacket. Carefully zipping the jacket again to make sure the long fur would not get caught, Baekhyun winced at the disgusting feeling of water basically being poured down his front as the cat’s position meant that all the water that had been trapped in its fur was now pressed out of it.

 “Come on, little one,” Baekhyun mumbled as he got up, one hand beneath the cat and the other over its shoulders to stabilize it as he held it close. “Let’s go home and get you dry, and see if we can find out where your owners are.”

 The cat snuggled into Baekhyun, and he could feel it purr against his chest, right above his heart. And just like that, Baekhyun was a goner for the cat.

 

 “This is my home, kitten,” Baekhyun murmured as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. “And for at least a little while, it will be yours as well. Hope you’ll like it!”

 The cat, who had closed its eyes during the wet trek, now opened its eyes, blinking a couple of times before peeking out from Baekhyun’s jacket and looking around. Then it closed its eyes and snuggled against Baekhyun again, as if uninterested about its new surroundings.

 “Well, excuse me for not having an interesting place,” Baekhyun chuckled as he stepped out of his shoes, groaning at the nasty feeling of walking around in wet socks. “I need to put you down for a while, little one, so I can take of my jacket and socks, so you need to wake up.”

 The cat opened one eye slightly to look up at Baekhyun, and it looked almost peeved at Baekhyun’s words. But that was ridiculous - it was a cat, and cats did not look peeved.

 But Baekhyun still found himself apologizing as he unzipped his jacket and put the cat down, this time wincing over the cold air that hit him after having had the body heat of the cat against him for a while.

 The cat took a few steps as it was put down, shaking out its legs whilst walking, before giving a full body shake and splashing dirty water everywhere.

 “Wow, thanks a lot,” Baekhyun muttered. “More cleaning to do, yay…”

 The cat completely ignored him as it continued further into the apartment, and Baekhyun sighed as he took his jacket off and hung it up, before peeling his socks off and heading towards his bathroom. Throwing the socks into the hamper, he then wiggled out of his jeans and threw them into the hamper as well, along with his shirt. When he was free of his wet clothes - well, almost, at least - he gave a pleased sigh. Wet clothes really was a pain to wear.

 Picking up a clean towel, Baekhyun returned to the living room in search for the runaway cat.

 The runaway cat lying on his sofa, still in its wet state.

 “You little shit,” Baekhyun said, chuckling in disbelief as he stepped closer and caught the cat with the towel, earning himself a surprised hiss. If the cat had not been turned into a burrito - purrito? - Baekhyun would have had claws imbedded in his flesh right now.

 “Alright, alright, calm down, I’m just going to dry you off,” Baekhyun mumbled as he sat down and put the towel-wrapped cat in his lap. “Chill a little bit, will you?”

 As Baekhyun kept rubbing the cat dry, it slowly began to relax, and soon it was a purring mess in Baekhyun’s arms once more.

 “I wonder what your name is, kitten,” Baekhyun mused as he kept drying the cat. “I can’t go around calling you ‘kitten’ and stuff, I don’t even know if you are a kitten! You look too large to be a kitten, honestly… No, you need a real name. It’s a shame you don’t have a collar, so I can see what your name is… I don’t even know if you’re a boy or a girl! Hey, kitten, are you a girl?”

 The cat stilled in his lap, looking up at Baekhyun with eyes that seemed to say that he was offended by the accusation, and Baekhyun chuckled.

 “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I guess you’re a boy kitten, then,” Baekhyun said, and the cat went back to enjoying the rub. “A boy… How about Chanyeol? Yeollie for short?”

 The cat gave its loudest purr so far, and Baekhyun concluded that it was happy with the name.

 And he also tried to ignore the fact that he was currently sitting in his underwear and talking to a cat. Things had been a bit stressful lately, so he was not that surprised that he was going insane. At least talking to animals was not that bad, it could be worse. He could be talking to inanimate objects.

 “I think this is as dry as I’ll get you, Yeollie,” Baekhyun said after a while, letting the towel slide off of the cat. “I need to go and take a shower so I don’t get sick, though I doubt it will do much good now, honestly.”

 Carefully, Baekhyun maneuvered Chanyeol off of his lap and onto the sofa, before he got up and walked into his bathroom. Since Baekhyun was living alone, he had a tendency to not close the door completely when using the bathroom, and so did not do it this time either.

 Which probably was a mistake.

 Standing beneath the hot stream of water and rinsing the shampoo out, Baekhyun thought he heard something. Opening his eyes and moving the curtain out of the way, Baekhyun peeked out into his bathroom. But there was nothing there.

 Shrugging, he let the curtain fall back in place, and got back to his shower. Then he heard something again, and louder this time. And again, and again, and Baekhyun realized it was Chanyeol.

 Looking down, he saw the cat stand with its paws up on the edge of the bathtub, staring at him with large, blue and terrified eyes as it let out strange meows.

 “Oh my god, Yeollie, I’m taking a shower, it’s okay,” Baekhyun chuckled, realizing that the cat was worried about the water. “It’s very nice, actually. Want to join me?”

 As Baekhyun leaned forwards and held out his hands towards the cat, Chanyeol quickly reared back, giving a frightened hiss and running away. Baekhyun laughed as he saw the scared cat run away, before resuming with his shower.

 

 When Baekhyun had finished his shower and gotten dressed, he walked out into the living room to find Chanyeol lying on the couch once more. This time the cat was cleaning itself, and thoroughly at that.

 “Oh, shit, I need to feed you,” Baekhyun exclaimed as the thought suddenly hit him, slapping a hand over his forehead. “I’m not particularly feeling like going out into this rain, though… Oh, wait, Kyungsoo has a cat…”

 Chanyeol merely glanced up at Baekhyun as the latter moved around in the apartment, more concerned with his fur than anything else. Baekhyun snorted at the cat as he scrolled through his contacts, pressing the one for Do Kyungsoo, his long-time friend and almost-neighbor.

 “What do you want?” Kyungsoo grunted as soon as he picked up, and Baekhyun let out a chuckle.

 “Dear lords, Soo, grumpy much?” Baekhyun asked as he sat down next to Chanyeol, absentmindedly dragging his fingers over the fur of the cat.

 Which obviously was not appreciated during wash-time, as the cat began to nip after his fingers, and Baekhyun retreated. He might not know much about cats, but he knew that irritating them was not a smart move.

 “I’m trying to give Nini a bath, but he’s being… Well, a cat,” Kyungsoo muttered, before holding the phone away from his mouth and yelling. “I closed the door, Jongin, there’s no way to escape! Get back here!”

 “Huh, funny…,” Baekhyun mumbled, remembering his own shower experience from just a little while ago. “But, hey, I need some help.”

 “Of course you do,” Kyungsoo snorted as panicked meows were heard from his side. Even Chanyeol lifted his head to look in Baekhyun’s direction, wondering what was going on. “What is it this time?”

 “I… might have saved a cat,” Baekhyun slowly said, chewing on his lower lip.

 “Oh my god, Baekhyun, you can’t just bring cats home!” Kyungsoo exclaimed. “What if it has an owner? A home? What if it’s a little child who’s now worried sick about their cat?!”

 “Calm down, Soo,” Baekhyun said, shaking his head at the dramatic tone his friend used. “He doesn’t have a collar, and he was halfway to being drowned in the rain. I did him a favor, really!”

 “‘He’?” Kyungsoo echoed. “If ‘he’ doesn’t have a collar, then how do you know it’s a ‘he’?”

 “Uh, I don’t know, but he seems like a he. Anyway, this wasn’t the point of my call! Can I get some cat food from you, until I can get some myself?”

 There was splashing on Kyungsoo’s side as well as panicked meows that quickly turned depressed. Baekhyun pitied the poor cat.

 “Yeah, sure, but cats are pretty peculiar with their food,” Kyungsoo mumbled, obviously focused on his task of bathing. “If he’s been eating another kind of food, you might have a case of diarrhea on your hands. Or worse.”

 “There’s nothing I can really do but accept that, though,” Baekhyun argued. “I mean, how am I supposed to find out what he’s been eating? What if he’s been living on the streets his entire life and hasn’t eaten cat food? And, I mean, it’s poop, not that bad? I worry more about the hairballs, honestly.”

 Kyungsoo hummed at that, and some more splashing commenced on his side of the line.

 “True… Though I find the poop worse than the hairballs. We’ll be over as soon as I’ve finished bathing this little devil.”

 “Sounds amazing,” Baekhyun chirped. “See you in a while!”

 Kyungsoo said goodbye and hung up, and as Baekhyun did the same, he looked over at Chanyeol who was still washing himself. It was time for his hindlegs now, and one was gracefully stretched out into the air so Chanyeol could lick it.

 He looked absolutely ridiculous.

 Curling up into a ball, Baekhyun slapped his thigh as he let out a roaring laughter at the sight. Chanyeol looked up at him with an offended kind of look, and since his leg was still in the air, it made it all so much better.

 Laughing so hard that he barely could breathe, Baekhyun almost missed the low knock on his door. Why Kyungsoo did not use the doorbell was a mystery to Baekhyun, but he had since long accepted it.

 Drying away tears, Baekhyun got up and walked over to the door, still chuckling. He opened it to find Kyungsoo standing on the other side, with a bundle of cat and towel in his arms, and a bag hanging off of his arm.

 “Oh, hi, Jongin,” Baekhyun smiled, holding his hand out for the black cat to sniff. “Is it really a good idea to bring him with you?”

 Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he stepped into the apartment and toed off his shoes.

 “He’s pouty, so he would have sat in my apartment and meowed loudly until I got back, and the neighbors have already complained once,” Kyungsoo answered. “So, where is your new pet?”

 “Sofa,” Baekhyun said, nodding towards the living room.

 As soon as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun (and Jongin) entered the living room, Chanyeol stopped with his ministrations and got up into a sort of crouching stance, keeping a close eye on the newly arrived.

 “Whoa, he’s bigger than I anticipated,” Kyungsoo mumbled. “And fluffy… I wonder what breed he is. What’s his name?”

 “Chanyeol, Yeollie for short,” Baekhyun answered, and said cat’s eyes flicked towards him.

 “Here,” Kyungsoo said, handing over his purrito to Baekhyun and putting down the bag on the floor, before carefully walking towards Chanyeol. “Hello, pretty little Yeollie. Huh, what a pretty little cat you are, yes… You want to say hello?”

 Kyungsoo held out a hand towards Chanyeol, who slowly lifted his head and craned it forwards to be able to sniff the man’s fingers. After some serious sniffing, Chanyeol seemed to deem Kyungsoo safe, and let him pet him. He was not as cute as he was with Baekhyun, and somehow that made Baekhyun feel proud. He guessed he really was turning into a crazy cat… dude, or something.

 The package in his arms began to move, and Baekhyun looked down at Jongin, cooing at the black cat.

 “Are you getting jealous, huh? Isn’t uncle Baek good enough?” Baekhyun asked, moving Jongin in his arms so he could scratch the cat underneath his chin.

 “Chanyeol might be a pretty nice breed, Baek,” Kyungsoo said, turning around to look at mentioned man. “I don’t think he’s fully grown, but his size and his fur… He could be a Maine Coon or a Ragdoll or something like that.”

 “Oh. Is that a good thing?” Baekhyun asked, walking over to the sofa and sitting down, putting Jongin in his lap.

 “Well, it means that he most probably has worried owners, since he most probably is quite the expensive cat, and might even have a pedigree,” Kyungsoo answered, absently scratching Chanyeol behind the ear. “You should take him to the police and check if he has an ID underneath his skin.”

 Baekhyun nodded through Kyungsoo’s talking, taking it all in. The only time he had spent with cats were when he had been over at Kyungsoo’s apartment, and he basically knew nothing about them. Except for them being basically the opposite of dogs.

 “He’ll need fresh water, and food. I’ll give you the name of the food I brought, so you can buy the same, and… I should just write this all down, shouldn’t I?” Kyungsoo asked, giving a slight sigh.

 Baekhyun gave an awkward giggle, nodding.

 “I’m not used to taking care of cats, or animals for that matter! What do you expect from me!” Baekhyun complained as Kyungsoo once more rolled his eyes. “Tell your daddy that uncle Baek is doing the best he can, Jonginnie!”

 “Shut up, Baek, you can’t say that!” Kyungsoo hissed, cheeks going pink. Chanyeol seemed worried over the sudden change in mood as he got up and walked further into the corner to lie down again.

 “Why not?” Baekhyun pouted, hugging Jongin a bit closer. “I am a great uncle!”

 “That’s not what I meant,” Kyungsoo grounded out through clenched jaws. “I’m his owner, not daddy!”

 “What’s the difference?” Baekhyun asked, releasing Jongin as the cat had started to wiggle in his grip. “Daddy is cute!”

 “He’s a hybrid!” Kyungsoo spat out, cheeks going even redder.

 “Oh,” Baekhyun said, eyes growing wide. “ _ Oh _ . Well, that makes the daddy thing a bit more awkward, yes. Sorry.”

 Kyungsoo was about to answer when Jongin jumped down from Baekhyun’s lap and began to move towards Chanyeol. The black cat was truly elegant in that amazing way that only cats were, and he held his tail high in the air. Regal, was the only way Baekhyun felt appropriate to describe Jongin. And he wondered what he looked like in human form.

 Chanyeol shrunk back against the backrest of the sofa as Jongin came closer, but the other cat just kept going, seemingly unbothered. Chanyeol, on the other hand, fluffed himself up until he looked almost twice as big, eyes growing large and black, ears flattening down on his head. One of his paws came up, either to strike Jongin, or keep him away.

 At this, Jongin sat down, tail slowly moving back and forth. He looked at Chanyeol for some time, before he laid down on the sofa and began to roll around. When he was fully on his back, he reached out his paws against Chanyeol, moving them close but not actually touching. As if he was  _ playing _ .

 It took a few seconds, but then Chanyeol relaxed, and he sank down and began to lazily swat at Jongin’s paws. Jongin did not let up, instead rolling over onto his side and pushing his paw against Chanyeol, to irritate the other cat into play properly.

 And it seemed to work, as Chanyeol suddenly jumped on top of Jongin, both cats tumbling to the floor.

 “Can they do that? Is it okay?” Baekhyun blurted out, worry making his voice higher pitched than normal.

 “It’s fine, they’re just playing,” Kyungsoo chuckled as he watched the two cats. “They’re not using their claws or teeth for real, and unless they draw blood it’s no worry. It’s good that they get along.”

 “Aw, Yeollie has made his first friend!” Baekhyun cooed, back to doting after having been assured no harm was being done. So far, at least.

 “You do realize he might have other friends, right?” Kyungsoo said, blinking up at Baekhyun.

 Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head. “Whilst he lives with me, his life before me is forgotten! I am his first owner, Jonginnie is his first friend, you are his first uncle… Simple as that!”

 Kyungsoo chuckled, and Baekhyun knew it was because Kyungsoo found him silly but adorable. And Baekhyun was kind of okay with that as he watched the two cats play around. Though it looked quite brutal.

 “Oh, right, so Jonginnie’s a hybrid? What does he look like?” Baekhyun asked as he remembered.

 Kyungsoo shrugged, getting up from the floor and sitting down on the sofa.

 “Maybe you’ll see one day, if he feels comfortable enough to shift around you,” Kyungsoo answered, a small smile on his lips. “Otherwise… Sucks, man.”

 If Kyungsoo had been closer, Baekhyun would have punched him, but since he was not… Baekhyun settled with just muttering, earning himself a chuckle from Kyungsoo.

 A few minutes later, Jongin apparently had enough, as he untangled himself from Chanyeol and walked over to Kyungsoo, brushing himself against the man’s legs and wrapping his tail around said body parts. Chanyeol was still on the floor, lying on his back and stretching out in his full length.

 “He must be a large breed,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he picked Jongin up and placed him in his lap. “I wonder which, though… Maybe you should take him to the vet and get him checked? Would be pretty good, if he really is a street cat. He needs vaccination and stuff.”

 At the suggestion, Jongin’s tail began to move a bit faster, and Kyungsoo automatically began to pet him to calm him down. Baekhyun found it a bit cute how in tune they were with each other, and he wished he could have that with Chanyeol.

 But apparently Chanyeol had other plans, as he had gotten up and walked over to the bag with food that Kyungsoo had brought, sniffing around it and brushing his fluffy tail against it.

 “Are you hungry, babyboo?” Baekhyun cooed, getting up and walking over to take the bag with him into the kitchen. Chanyeol gave a meow as he followed after, cutely tripping along, and Baekhyun’s heart melted even more.

 This was bad, he really could not afford forty-five cats at the moment… Because that seemed like a decent number of cats to have when you went all-out crazy cat dude.

 In his kitchen, Baekhyun took out a plate and poured some of the cat food on top of it, putting it down so Chanyeol could eat. Then he took out a shallow bowl and filled it with some water, and put it down next to the food.

 “You should probably put a bowl of water in another place, a bit away from his food,” Kyungsoo called out from the living room. “Cats have a preference for having their water away from their food.”

 “Duly noted,” Baekhyun called back as he got another bowl out and filled it with water, before putting it down in another corner of the kitchen.

 He just hoped he would remember it was there, and not step into it.

 As Baekhyun was watching Chanyeol eat, footsteps were heard, and soon Kyungsoo showed up in the doorway with Jongin in his arms.

 “I’m going now, if you need anything just text me,” Kyungsoo said, before a large jawn overtook him.

 “Tough day?” Baekhyun asked, a small smile on his lips.

 “Between my professor and this little devil,” Kyungsoo said, lifting Jongin slightly to indicate the cat, “yeah, very much so. I almost fell asleep in your sofa, and that’s disgusting.”

 “Out!” Baekhyun laughed, pointing towards the door. “My sofa is not disgusting, you’re just imagining things!”

 Kyungsoo gave him a flat look, before turning around and walking away, calling out a goodbye that Baekhyun responded to.

 “Well, I guess it’s just me and you again, Yeollie,” Baekhyun said, mentioned cat walking over to Baekhyun and rubbing himself against the man’s legs. “Yeah, I’m kinda happy with it too. How about watching some TV and then going to bed?”

 

 And that is how Baekhyun ends up falling asleep on the couch, the rather comfortable weight of Chanyeol on top of his chest, though it made breathing a bit harder. The cat’s body heat was just barely enough for Baekhyun to not need a blanket, though the chill kept him from falling into deep sleep.

 At one point during the early morning, Baekhyun woke up and noticed that the weight was gone. As he heard the sound of food being eaten, he guessed Chanyeol had just gotten hungry, and worry subsiding, Baekhyun turned towards the backrest of the couch and promptly fell asleep again.

 Just to wake up to quite the horrible smell.

 Baekhyun’s eyes flew open as he quickly realized what it was, stumbling out of the sofa in search of the source of the smell. Chanyeol, who had been lying beneath the coffee table, gave an annoyed meow, before dropping his head on his paws again.

 Using the smell as a guide, it did not take long for Baekhyun to find the corner where Chanyeol had peed. The yellow, stinking liquid still looked quite fresh, and gagging, Baekhyun rushed to his kitchen to get some paper.

 

 Kyungsoo was deep into his dreamland, comfortably snoring away in his bed with a rolled up Jongin lying in the small space between Kyungsoo’s stomach and legs. Both were completely relaxed, and completely unprepared for the shrill ringtone suddenly cutting through the stillness of the bedroom.

 Jongin flew off the bed as Kyungsoo scrambled around to find the offending piece of technology, not even checking the ID as he answered the call.

 “KYUNGSOO,” Baekhyun wailed on the other side of the line, and Kyungsoo gave a groaning sigh, letting his face hit his pillow as Baekhyun cried. “Chanyeol peed in my living room! It smells  _ disgusting _ !”

 “Oh, yeah, you need a litter box,” Kyungsoo grunted, blinking his eyes before deciding to just keep them closed. He would go back to sleep after this, hopefully…

 “You didn’t think that piece of information was worth mentioning  _ yesterday _ ?!” Baekhyun hissed, as he went from sobbing mess to dramatic diva in two seconds flat. “I  _ asked _ you for help with the important stuff, and you forget the second - or maybe first - important thing?! You are the  _ worst _ friend-”

 “Oh, shut up, Baek, it’s too early for this,” Kyungsoo whined, rolling over onto his back. “I was a bit distracted and I apologize, okay, but why didn’t you think about it yourself? I mean, what did you think cats did - go to the toilet?”

 Baekhyun just mumbled something incoherent before letting out a sigh, and Kyungsoo could see the other man in front of him, rubbing his forehead.

 “Apology accepted. Can you please just tag along to the pet shop and help me get the necessary things?” Baekhyun asked, sounding a lot calmer by now.

 “What, now?” Kyungsoo chuckled, but as there was no answer on the other side, he realized that yes, Baekhyun meant right now. “It’s too fucking early for this, Byun, I need to sle-”

 “Yeah, well I need to not fear having to wake up to poop on my carpet, Do Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun practically yelled into his phone, and Kyungsoo almost thought he heard it through the several walls between them as well. “Go to sleep afterwards, I know you don’t have classes until late today!”

 Kyungsoo cursed the day he told Baekhyun his schedule, but there was nothing really he could do about it. After all, Chanyeol probably felt quite uncomfortable from the lack of litter box as well. So Kyungsoo meekly agreed to meeting Baekhyun in ten minutes with the thought of poor Chanyeol as motivation.

 Clicking his annoying neighbor, Kyungsoo dropped his phone in the bed and let out a loud groan at having to lose precious sleep. Kyungsoo very much enjoyed his sleep, after all.

 Soft padding came closer, before the bed dipped and someone snuggled into the blankets, stealing them from Kyungsoo. Both of them, which was a bit greedy.

 “You’re going out?” a husky voice asked, and Kyungsoo let out another sigh as he gave a nod, still not opening his eyes. “Why?”

 “Yeollie peed and Baek doesn’t have a litter box,” Kyungsoo mumbled, lips curling into a smile.

 It was quite funny, after all. And Kyungsoo felt like telling Baekhyun that karma was a bitch. But then he would probably call Kyungsoo a bitch…

 The other man snorted, wiggling a bit closer to Kyungsoo.

 “What, he thinks we go to the toilet like normal humans when in cat form?” the man asked, and Kyungsoo chuckled. If he had payed a bit more attention to the words, though, Kyungsoo might have caught the strange formulation...

 “I asked him the exact same thing, Jonginnie, and I guess he did,” Kyungsoo said, turning over on his side and draping an arm over the hybrid lying next to him. “I guess I’ll be back in a little while… Knowing Baek, it might take longer… Ugh, I hate him so much…”

 Jongin let out a soft laugh as he poked Kyungsoo’s ribs, making the other squirm.

 “No, you don’t, and the faster you go, the faster you can come back. You still have a few hours to sleep before class.”

 Kyungsoo gave a sigh but nodded, as he sat up and slowly dragged himself out of bed.

 

 When Kyungsoo finally arrived in the lobby, Baekhyun was impatiently standing leaned against the wall, tapping his foot. He had just been waiting for a few minutes, but Kyungsoo did not have to know that.

 “Peed in your living room, huh?” Kyungsoo asked as he got closer, lips slowly spreading in a smirk. “Floor or wall?”

 Baekhyun frowned at the question. “Floor.”

 “Ah, good,” Kyungsoo nodded. “The stains are a hell to get out of wallpapers… Maybe we should get you stain remover as well, might come in handy.”

 “Where are we going even?” Baekhyun asked as they walked out onto the street, following as Kyungsoo made a turn.

 “Just follow along, and I’ll show you,” Kyungsoo said, hiding a jaw behind his hand. “Memorize the way, you’ll probably have to do a trip every now and then depending on if you’re keeping Yeollie or not.”

 

 At the pet shop, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo only spent around ten minutes cooing over the puppies and kittens, which was quite amazing since both were completely smitten with animal babies. But Baekhyun was on a mission, and that was to fix whatever he needed for Chanyeol and return with it before the cat could make a bigger mess. So Kyungsoo had to suffer as well, being dragged away from the kitten he had been petting through the bars.

 “What kind of litter box should I get?” Baekhyun asked, worrying his lower lip as his eyes slid over the numerous choices.

 “A large one, since Yeollie is quite big, and might get bigger,” Kyungsoo answered, pointing towards a few of the choices. “And you’re going to need sand as well, I recommend getting one specifically designed for long-haired cats. And probably a mat to put outside of the box, otherwise you’ll have sand all over your apartment.”

 Baekhyun just looked at Kyungsoo with large eyes.

 “How can I need so much stuff for such a little thing?” he asked, seriously confused. “And how do you even know all of this stuff?”

 Kyungsoo shrugged as he checked something on one of the litter boxes. “Trial and error and a lot of Googling. I have troubles sleeping sometimes, don’t judge. And I want to make sure Jonginnie is comfortable.”

 “Jonginnie, huh?” Baekhyun said, grinning widely as he leaned against one of the shelves, and Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he knew what was coming. “Hybrid, huh? How’s that going, huh? Fun times?”

 “You’re disgusting,” was all Kyungsoo said, before he walked away in the direction of the cat food, leaving Baekhyun to purse his lips over the mean comment.

 

 When Baekhyun returned home, Chanyeol had thankfully not moved from his position as asleep on the sofa. Or, at least it did not look like it. And Baekhyun could not detect any strange smells in the apartment either, so he took it as a good sign.

 Getting to work immediately, Baekhyun rolled up his sleeves and began to fiddle around with the litter box. All the noise seemed to interest Chanyeol, as he soon joined Baekhyun on the floor.

 “Hey, boo, I’m fixing your litter box so you don’t have to pee on the floor,” Baekhyun smiled, scratching the white cat behind his ear. “I really hope you’re trained to use the box, because I would have no idea what to do otherwise, and I’m not sure even Google would be able to help me, honestly…”

 Chanyeol purred as he head-butted Baekhyun’s hand, the latter taking it as another good sign.

 As soon as Baekhyun was done with the litter box and had pushed it against the wall of his bathroom (Kyungsoo had told him to not have it too close to the food, and Baekhyun felt like the bathroom was an appropriate place), Chanyeol began to sniff around the box. Carefully peeking inside, the cat then jumped in, walked around a few times, and then he sat down, staring Baekhyun right in the eye as he did his business.

 “Okay, that’s kinda creepy…,” Baekhyun muttered, cheeks a bit flushed as he stood up. “But I guess I’m the creep, since I was the one staring… I’ll leave you to do your stuff in peace, Yeollie, and set up the food instead!”

 Whilst shopping, Baekhyun had bought proper bowls for food and water - not really needing it since his bowls were good enough, but he felt like indulging. It was not often he did, actually, but his soft heart had told him to indulge in Yeollie, because the cute cat deserved it. He was fluffy and adorable and that just meant indulging!

 Yes, Baekhyun was indeed far gone down the pet swamp. But god did he love it.

 Chanyeol joined Baekhyun as he finished the bowls, sniffing around them as well before eating some food. It seemed as if the cat quite quickly accepted his new things, and Baekhyun was glad.

 Baekhyun stood and just adored Chanyeol for a long while, cooing over how cute the cat was when eating, before he got a glance of the time, cursing loud enough for Chanyeol to jump in fear.

 “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, Yeollie,” Baekhyun called out as he rushed towards his bedroom. “I’m late for class! Like, really,  _ really _ late! I’m going to have to leave you for a few hours, but you have food and water, and you know where the litter box is, and you’re a cat, so you sleep most of the time anyway, right? I really need to go, see you tonight!”

 And just like that, Baekhyun was out the door, leaving a slightly confused cat behind.

 

 Now, to say that Chanyeol was curious was an understatement. He loved going through stuff and exploring, and just the thrill of finding something could keep him going for hours.

 Which was why he was now finding himself in the shower, even though he was trembling slightly in fear. It was white, it was cold, and it was  _ big _ . A bit like Chanyeol, but much harder and much less inviting. And Chanyeol was warm, very warm, his fur adjusted to a life in cold climates. So that part of the tub was nice, the coldness, since it kept him cold as well, and he liked that.

 But only for a little while. Then he jumped out of the scary tub and went into the bedroom, the one room he had not been in yet.

 If he had not been so exhausted last night, he would have already looked through this room, but instead he had fallen asleep on top of Baekhyun.

 Baekhyun was a nice human. He was cute and soft and sweet, even though he sometimes surprised Chanyeol. Chanyeol was a bit of a scaredy cat, so it was not that strange, but still.

 Standing up on his hind legs, Chanyeol placed his paws against the mattress and peered over the edge. The bed was not made, cover almost dropping off one side and the pillows strewn around. It looked incredibly soft and warm, though, so Chanyeol jumped up anyway.

 The bed smelled like Baekhyun, and Chanyeol found that nice. Reassuring. So, rolling himself up against where the cover made a sort-of wall, Chanyeol placed his head on his paws, and promptly fell asleep. Because yes, as Baekhyun had said, cats slept a lot, and having had too much excitement to last him a year, Chanyeol was still feeling a bit drained.

 Enough for him to fall asleep within a minute, though he normally took about - at least - half an hour. He needed to make sure he was safe to sleep first, but wrapped up in Baekhyun’s scent, he did not feel unsafe. Not the slightest bit.

 

 Baekhyun came home to darkness. But as soon as he stepped inside, something white came cutely tripping towards him, giving off loud meows.

 “Hi, babyboo, did you miss me?” Baekhyun grinned, squatting down and giving Chanyeol a proper rub before he even took his shoes off. “Me too, I wish I could’ve just stayed at home and cuddled with you. But that’s what I get for being a responsible student, I guess.”

 Standing up with a sigh, Baekhyun removed his outer wear and placed his bag next to the door before scooping the cat up in his arms. Chanyeol immediately relaxed, to the point of almost hanging limply in Baekhyun’s embrace, and Baekhyun amusedly wondered if it was a quirk of the breed, or just Chanyeol’s personality. He made a mental note to ask Kyungsoo later, or just Google it.

 “What have you done today, Yeollie? Slept, eaten? I really hope you’ve used your litter box instead of my floors…”

 Baekhyun made small talk with Chanyeol as he walked into his living room and sat down, the cat sometimes meowing in response. Baekhyun entertained the thought of Chanyeol understanding what he said and actually talking back. Maybe the white cat was a hybrid as well. Would that not be something?

 “If you are a hybrid, Yeollie, then you have to warn me before you turn,” Baekhyun mused. “I would rather not wake up to a strange man in my apartment!”

 Chanyeol gave a meow, and Baekhyun laughed, feeling a bit silly but happy nonetheless.

 

 With Chanyeol in his life, Baekhyun settled into a new routine. He had not been the most outgoing person before, but he had still made a point of going out every now and then. But now, he instead rather chose sitting at home watching movies and cuddling with Chanyeol, and sometimes hanging out with Kyungsoo and Jongin (who still had not seen in his human form).

 Chanyeol and Jongin seemed to hit it off quite well, even though they sometimes had fights that escalated to near-danger. Those times were mostly when Chanyeol sought more of Kyungsoo’s attention, and a jealous Jongin jumped him, before a jealous Baekhyun took Chanyeol away.

 Baekhyun put posters up and looked through different animal communities, but no owner turned up, and he was kind of glad for that. He thought it was a shame if someone had lost Chanyeol without meaning to, but at the same time, Baekhyun had gained a friend and house mate, having to not feel so alone anymore, and he liked that. He liked that very much.

 Judging from Chanyeol’s size and from how he acted, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo figured that the cat might be of Ragdoll breed, or a mix with at least some Ragdoll blood. Which made it even stranger that no one seemed to miss him, since Ragdolls were both popular and expensive. If anything, Baekhyun was a bit surprised that no one had tried to trick Baekhyun into giving them Chanyeol, saying that he was theirs even though he was not. But he tried not to delve on that too much.

 After a few weeks passed, Baekhyun stopped looking for the rightful owner. Chanyeol was so comfortable with him, and Baekhyun was so comfortable with the cat, that he figured he might just keep him as his own. Kyungsoo advised him to get an insurance and try to take Chanyeol to the vet, but Baekhyun was stalling a bit on the latter. Even if Chanyeol was trusting, Baekhyun knew that the vet was a horrible place to go, and that might break Chanyeol’s trust in him forever.

 Yes, Baekhyun was known for being a bit dramatic.

 One thing that Baekhyun quickly learned he could not be lazy with, though, was Chanyeol’s fur. It was long, it was white, and it got  _ everywhere _ . Baekhyun could put on clean clothes, and ten minutes later, he would be covered in fur even though he had not touched Chanyeol.

 So Baekhyun had bought a brush, to try to catch as much of the fur as possible before it got out into the apartment, and to keep Chanyeol’s fur free from tangles.

 And to say that Chanyeol loved it was an understatement.

 As soon as Baekhyun pulled out the brush, Chanyeol would run up to him in full purring mode and try to lie down in Baekhyun’s lap before the man had had the chance to sit down. The cat would then drag his head against the brush on his own, leaving Baekhyun to just have to hold the brush in place. When Baekhyun then got to work on his body, Chanyeol obediently turned over on his back and lifted his little paws into the air to stretch his legs out. During all of it, Baekhyun cooed over the cat, making sure to pat him and tell him how good of a boy he was.

 Baekhyun was still pretty sure Chanyeol was a boy. Though he was not a hundred percent sure. But at least ninety-five. And that was good enough.

 Towards the end of the brushing time, Chanyeol usually became a bit impatient and energetic, and he began to try to play with the brush. This often ended in Baekhyun gaining some new scratches. Each and every time he hissed from the pain, Chanyeol would quickly turn back onto his stomach, claws out, eyes big and ears flattened to his head, looking positively terrified. And each and every time, Baekhyun would try to reassure the cat that it was okay, that it was fine and not that bad, he was just surprised, until Chanyeol calmed down and pulled his claws out of whatever he had put them into (mostly Baekhyun’s thighs). Baekhyun was not even surprised over finding claw marks and small red wounds when he showered anymore, it was just the way of his life now, and he had accepted that. And he did not mind either.

 Another thing that Baekhyun and Chanyeol enjoyed doing were taking walks outside together.

 Baekhyun (through Kyungsoo) quite quickly realized that Chanyeol had too much energy to be able to lose it in the apartment on his own, and Baekhyun realized that he could not always play long enough to satisfy Chanyeol. So, with the advice from Kyungsoo, Baekhyun bought a leash and a harness with the intent of going outside. It took some time to get Chanyeol used to it, but as soon as he was, Baekhyun took him outside.

 It was quite the fun experience to walk a cat, Baekhyun found out. It was pretty similar to walking a dog, but quite different as well. For one, dogs are easier to control and make them listen to you, whilst cats more or less try to do whatever they want to do. Which many times is not what the human wants the cat to do. Like walking straight towards the park where they could explore, but instead ending up walking all over the place because a certain someone wants to explore  _ everything _ , and lies down on the ground and refuses to move if you try to force them away.

 So Baekhyun ended up carrying Chanyeol to the park a few times, and after that, he quickly learned that it was better to just walk there anyway, since it was fun to be in the park. Especially when no one was around, and Baekhyun took the leash off and let Chanyeol run around however he wanted.

 He sprinted over the grass, he climbed trees, he chased birds (but he was awful at catching them, much to Baekhyun’s relief and glee), and just had the time of his cat life. Yes, Chanyeol truly enjoyed being outside, and it showed.

 Like when he lied down on the pathway just a little ahead of Baekhyun, flipping over onto his back and wiggling around, as if making sure he got as much dirt on his white fur as possible.

 “No way,” Baekhyun gasped, watching the scene in horror. “You did not just do that… Yeollie, now you have to shower!”

 Chanyeol had heard Baekhyun mention the shower several times before, and he knew that after the word ‘shower’ there was always water. And Chanyeol was not that into water, ever since his traumatic experience of being caught in the rain. So Chanyeol tried to escape, but Baekhyun had already managed to leash him, and it was all in vain.

 But he did try to get out of it by laying down on the ground and refusing to move, but Baekhyun just picked him up and carried him away home (damn humans being bigger and stronger!).

 It was a struggle to bathe the cat, and Baekhyun had the battle wounds to show it. He truly understood why Kyungsoo hated bathing Jongin, but at the same time, Baekhyun found it quite funny.

 Especially the part afterwards, when Chanyeol stood shivering in the bathtub, completely drenched and his fur hanging down, eyes large and miserable as he let out a loud wailing to make Baekhyun get the towel quicker. Chanyeol was just too adorable, and Baekhyun could not keep himself from giggling over it. Or when Chanyeol cleaned himself in an attempt to dry himself off, and every now and then looking up, seemingly not looking at anything, with this kind of dead look in his eyes.

 If Baekhyun was dramatic, then Chanyeol was the perfect fit as a pet for him.

 But in the end, Chanyeol would slowly creep closer to Baekhyun, finally sprawling out in his lap and receiving cuddles, until it was time for bed or whatever else that came next. And then they would go to bed, Baekhyun mostly falling asleep with a purring Chanyeol on top of his chest.

 One morning, Baekhyun slowly came awake to the feeling of basically being crushed, a heavy weight on top of him. At first he thought it was Chanyeol, but he certainly did not remember the cat being that big (though he had grown since Baekhyun first took him home).

 Cracking his eyes open, Baekhyun glanced down and got the shock of his life as he saw an unfamiliar man sprawled on top of him, snoring away peacefully.

 A shrill scream resounded in the room, followed by the loud noise of hand meeting cheek.

 

 The man scrambled off of Baekhyun and the bed in pure panic, hand over his cheek and large eyes filled with tears and terror. Pressing himself up against the far wall, he wrapped his long, fluffy tail around his trembling body, and that was when it clicked for Baekhyun.

 Large white ears peeked out from the unruly white hair on top of the man’s head, and his eyes were a specific shade of blue that Baekhyun was pretty sure he could recognize anywhere.

 “Y-Yeollie?” Baekhyun managed, making the man glance up at it him, and it was basically confirmed. “Oh my god, I am so sorry! I am so sorry, Yeollie! I didn’t mean to, but you scared me, I fell asleep to cat and woke up to a man!”

 Realization jolted through the man - Chanyeol - and he looked down at his body. His very nude body. Chanyeol’s eyes grew even larger, and he let out a choked scream. Apparently he had not been prepared for it either.

 Baekhyun stumbled out of bed and over to Chanyeol, feeling a bit hurt as the tall man flinched away from him, but ignoring it in favor of wrapping his arms around the poor man and pulling him close. It was a bit more cumbersome trying to handle a large man than a large cat, but there was also a certain familiarity to it, somehow.

 “It’s okay, it’s okay, calm down, Yeollie, it’s okay,” Baekhyun mumbled, rubbing circles into the soft skin of Chanyeol’s back. Skin almost as soft as his fur was… “Don’t worry, its okay. Let’s get you into some clothes and then we’ll figure this out, okay?”

 Chanyeol had by now relaxed completely against Baekhyun, almost going limp, and Baekhyun was pretty sure that he could hear purring as well. Splaying his hand over Chanyeol’s back, Baekhyun could feel the vibrations, and it made him smile. No matter what form Chanyeol was in, he was just a big sweetheart who loved cuddles.

 

 It turned out that the large cat Chanyeol turned into an even larger human was pretty hard to dress with Baekhyun’s clothes. In the end, Baekhyun managed to find an old pair of sweatpants that sort of fit, but for now, Chanyeol would have to be topless.

 “Wow, you’re really a big boy, aren’t you?” Baekhyun muttered as Chanyeol stood up, stretched out in his full length. “I wonder if Kyungsoo has any clothes for Jongin that are big enough for you… Ah, well, I’ll just have to call Kyungsoo and see. Come on, let’s go get some breakfast, all of this excitement has made me hungry!”

 Chanyeol’s ears perked up, and his lips split in a cute grin, as he followed after Baekhyun. When they entered the kitchen, though, Baekhyun came to a stop, turning to look up at Chanyeol.

 “Uh, what do you eat?” he asked, and Chanyeol tilted his head, eyebrows drawing together a little bit in confusion. “I mean, you’ve eaten cat food up until now, but what do you eat in human form?”

 Chanyeol seemingly did not have an answer for this as his frown deepened, and Baekhyun began to fear that the hybrid might not understand human languages. That could be a bit problematic…

 Walking over to his fridge, Baekhyun opened it and looked inside, trying to figure something out.

 “We can’t have you eating cat food, that would just be weird, but I should be able to do something else? What do you like to eat otherwise… Well, you like to steal my bacon,” Baekhyun mumbled to himself as he looked through the fridge, not noticing the head appearing next to his own quietly.

 Not until Baekhyun was about to turn around to ask for Chanyeol’s opinion, and realized Chanyeol was a bit closer than he remembered.

 “Holy shit!” Baekhyun blurted as he jumped back, straight into the fridge door, and he would have fallen if Chanyeol had not quickly reached out and caught him by his arms. “Ah, thank you! Oh my god, you scared me, you have to stop doing that! My poor heart can’t take much more!”

 “Sorry,” Chanyeol muttered, and his deep voice almost surprised Baekhyun more than his sudden closeness had.

 “You speak?!” Baekhyun exclaimed, putting his hands on Chanyeol’s shoulders and lightly shaking the poor man. “You can talk?! You can understand me?!”

 Looking a bit disoriented, large eyes wide, Chanyeol nodded frantically. Satisfied with the answer, Baekhyun stopped shaking Chanyeol, but did not remove his hands from his shoulders.

 “I have to say, you’re much more talkative as a cat, though,” Baekhyun said, eyes narrowing. “Why are you so quiet?”

 Chanyeol merely shrugged, looking away from Baekhyun, and then he seemed to lose focus from Baekhyun as his eyes grew wide and he looked around.

 “All the colors…,” he breathed, and Baekhyun frowned in confusion. “I’ve never seen colors like this…”

 “Cats don’t see colors?” Baekhyun asked, and Chanyeol shook his head. “Really? How do you see the world, then?”

 “We see colors, but not like this…,” Chanyeol mumbled, sounding completely astonished. “It’s so vibrant, and so… alive, in a way? And I can see so much of the things in front of me, and so far away, and all the details… This is amazing!”

 As Chanyeol kept rambling, Baekhyun found himself losing himself a bit in the sound of the taller’s voice. Trying to shake it off, he shut the fridge door (it had began to beep from how long it had been open) and forced himself to actually register the words as well.

 “I guess I was wrong, you can be just as talkative in your human form as in your cat form,” Baekhyun said, smiling softly.

 Chanyeol immediately shut his mouth, a cute blush creeping up on his cheeks as he slumped down a little bit and glanced away.

 “Oh, no, I’m sorry, don’t do that! Don’t stop talking, I like hearing your voice, it’s reassuring!” Baekhyun exclaimed as he noticed the sudden change in mood. “Just as I like hearing you meow, I like hearing you talk! I don’t feel as alone when I hear someone else in my apartment, so please don’t stop talking?”

 Chanyeol was now standing and fiddling with his fingers, eyes trained on them as well. The blush had deepened slightly, but there was also a small smile on his lips, so Baekhyun took it as a good sign.

 “Please keep talking to me?” Baekhyun asked, putting his head beneath Chanyeol’s so he could look up at the taller with a pout. “Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”

 The smile grew larger as Chanyeol turned his face away, weakly pushing at Baekhyun’s shoulder, only succeeding in making the shorter laugh.

 “Okay, I’ll try…,” Chanyeol mumbled, and Baekhyun grinned at him.

 Trying was all Baekhyun needed.

 

 Kyungsoo was having a great dream. He was lying on a beach, sun beaming down at him, without a care in the world. Jongin was standing by the edge of the water, quickly scrambling away as the waves rushed towards him, and sneaking back down as the waves pulled back.

 Shaking his head at the silly hybrid, Kyungsoo took a sip of his drink, suddenly attacked by a bad feeling. It felt as if something horrible was about to happen, but he did not know what…

 But as a loud, shrill ringtone brutally tore him out of his dream and threw him back into reality, complete with claws to the chest and stomach, Kyungsoo realized why he had had a bad feeling.

 Almost sobbing from the pain of Jongin attacking him in fear and having to leave his dreamland, Kyungsoo picked up his phone (he really needed to change his ringtone, or put his phone on vibrate), not bothering with checking the ID since he knew who it was anyway.

 “What?” Kyungsoo muttered, wishing he could glare at the offender.

 “Uh, hi, uhm… Soo, how big is Jonginnie in his human form? Like, how tall?” came Baekhyun’s uncertain voice.

 Kyungsoo’s eyes immediately flew open, his hand that had tried to pet Jongin into calmness once more stilling.

 “Tall, why are you asking?” Kyungsoo asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

 “I, well, I was wondering if you could bring some of his clothes over? Like a shirt maybe?” Baekhyun asked, giving an awkward laugh at the end.

 Sighing, Kyungsoo pinched the bridge of his nose.

 “Oh my god, Baek, did you tear someone’s clothes? I thought you stopped with the whole one night stand situation? Do you think Yeollie apprecia-”

 “Shut up, Kyungsoo, it’s Yeollie!” Baekhyun cut in, sounding a bit agitated. “Apparently I rescued a hybrid, and he’s tall, and my clothes aren’t fitting! And FYI, that one night stand thing was  _ one _ time, and it scared me enough to not try it again.”

 Kyungsoo was quiet for quite some time, opening and closing his mouth and trying to come up with what to say, but shock made him mute.

 “Uhm, Soo? You still there?”

 “Ah, yes, sorry… Just, stay there, we’ll be over in a moment,” Kyungsoo said, before clicking the call and sitting up in his bed, accidentally making Jongin - who had started to fall asleep again - fall into his lap. “Ah, shit, sorry… We need to go over to Baek’s for a little while, apparently Yeollie is also a hybrid.”

 Jongin promptly changed into his human form, head in Kyungsoo’s lap, with his pouty face on.

 “I know, but what does that have to do with anything?” he whined, making Kyungsoo frown.

 “Wait, you knew Yeollie was a hybrid?” Kyungsoo asked, Jongin nodding. “Why didn’t you say anything? And how?”

 Jongin sat up and shrugged, dragging a hand through his hair and making it stand up in all directions.

 “I smelled it the first time we met. Hybrids doesn’t smell like normal animals. And I didn’t think it was my place to tell you guys. Guess you know now anyway…”

 “You don’t normally keep secrets from me,” Kyungsoo mumbled, giving a pout that rivaled Jongin’s.

 Giggling a bit, Jongin pushed his head onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder, nuzzling his face against Kyungsoo’s neck and giving a soft purr.

 “I didn’t keep a secret, I just didn’t tell you outright… Not my fault you didn’t pick up on it,” Jongin said, and Kyungsoo could hear the smile in his voice.

 “That’s basically keeping a secret,” Kyungsoo argued. “Bad kitty. Now go get dressed, or change form, we have a house call to make…”

 

 Chanyeol was sitting in the sofa, contently munching on a piece of bacon, when the doorbell rang. Baekhyun, who had been sitting on the edge of the sofa, jumped at the sound and rushed over to the door to open it.

 “Here you go,” Kyungsoo said in greeting, holding out a bag full of clothes for Baekhyun to take. “Jongin chose the clothes he likes the least, but he’s still pretty attached to them, so please return them as soon as possible.”

 Baekhyun gave a slight bow as he accepted the bag, and since his eyes had been on it and Kyungsoo, he had not noticed the dark-haired man standing silently behind Kyungsoo. But when he did, his eyes grew in size, mouth falling open.

 “Jonginnie?!” Baekhyun exclaimed after a few seconds of silence, and the other nodded, eyelids droopy from tiredness.

 “Hi, Baek,” Jongin said, and Baekhyun jumped from how deep his voice was.

 “Oh my god, do all cats have super deep voices or something?” Baekhyun groaned. “You really are tall, though… Might be tall enough for your clothes to fit Yeol…”

 “So, are you going to let us in or not?” Kyungsoo asked, his lips pursed.

 Baekhyun slapped his forehead, before stepping back.

 “Sorry, I got distracted by Jonginnie! Of course, come in, come in!”

 Kyungsoo and Jongin stepped inside, taking off their shoes before heading into the living room per Baekhyun’s instructions.

 “Wow. He really is big, isn’t he?” Kyungsoo said, stopping in the doorway to the living room, though Jongin kept going. “I think he’s taller than Jongin… Wow. I did not expect that, actually. Why is his cheek red?”

 Baekhyun gave an awkward laugh as he came to a stop next to Kyungsoo, watching as Jongin walked over to the sofa, Chanyeol sending him a glare. Jongin completely ignored it, though, as he collapsed face-down next to Chanyeol, who watched him for a few seconds before deciding the other was not after his bacon, and got back to eating.

 “He changed in the middle of the night, so I basically woke up to an unfamiliar man on top of me,” Baekhyun explained in a small voice, hugging the bag of clothes to his chest.

 “Oh, yeah, okay, I understand,” Kyungsoo said, wincing. “That must have been quite the shock… At least I knew about Jongin… So, I’m guessing you have questions?”

 “Millions, but the most important - is bacon okay for him to eat?” Baekhyun asked, turning towards Kyungsoo with a very serious expression.

 Kyungsoo burst out laughing, making both hybrids jump a bit, Baekhyun shooting him a peeved look.

 “You gave Yeol something to eat without knowing if it was okay?” Kyungsoo asked, laughter having died down to a light chuckle.

 “He used his kitten eyes on me to make me cook it,” Baekhyun muttered. “I can’t help I’m weak for that stuff…”

 “You know what, you can be a bit of a bitch sometimes, but you do have a kind heart,” Kyungsoo said, smiling as he placed a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

 “I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not,” Baekhyun said back, frowning. “But seriously, though, what am I supposed to feed him? I don’t want to give him cat food when he’s in human form.”

 Kyungsoo shrugged as he looked back at the two hybrids in the sofa.

 “Anything you eat he can eat, basically. He needs more meat than you, but apart from that, he doesn’t need any special diet.”

 Baekhyun placed a hand over his heart and sighed in relief, a soft smile forming on his lips.

 “That’s good, I’d rather not accidentally kill him because of having no idea how to take care of him,” Baekhyun breathed, and Kyungsoo smiled at him.

 “You’re so soft,” Kyungsoo teased, but there was no real bite to it.

 Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo a small shove, before he walked over to the sofa as well and put the bag down to rummage through it. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, went over to the other side of the sofa, where Chanyeol was sitting and nomming on his last piece of bacon.

 “Hi, Chanyeol, nice to meet you in your human form,” Kyungsoo said as he squatted down next to the taller, smiling softly.

 Swallowing down the bacon, Chanyeol gave a big grin, making Baekhyun purse his lips.

 “Hey, Soo,” Chanyeol said, and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

 Jongin apparently woke up at this, as he held up his head to send a glare at Chanyeol, tail swishing quite violently back and forth, which the taller either did not notice, or just plain ignored.

 Baekhyun felt like swishing his non-existent tail as well.

 “How are you feeling? Is it your first time changing, or?” Kyungsoo asked, and Baekhyun pouted more and more at each question he had completely forgotten to ask.

 “First time,” Chanyeol asked, before getting a thinking expression on his face. “And I’m feeling a bit strange, but I think that’s because I’m not used to this body. Otherwise I’m fine. Oh, my cheek is still stinging a bit…”

 At this, Baekhyun dropped his eyes to the floor in shame, color on his cheeks, but he could still feel Kyungsoo’s eyes on him. He had said he was sorry…

 “It’s okay, though, I was quite surprised myself, so I’m not blaming him,” Chanyeol said softly, and even though he was not directly speaking to him, Baekhyun knew the words were meant as reassurance for him. It made the blush on his cheek deepen a bit.

 “I’m going to get a glass of water,” Baekhyun mumbled, before fleeing into the kitchen. If he had been looking behind him, he would have seen both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol smiling after him.

 Leaning on both elbows next to the sink, Baekhyun sighed softly as he looked out through the window, watching the fluffy clouds move across the azure sky.

 “Hey,” a voice suddenly came, making Baekhyun jump and bang his knee against the cabinet.

 Whining as he rubbed his knee, Baekhyun blinked back the tears to look up at Jongin, who had quietly entered the kitchen.

 “Why do you all move so quietly even in human form?” Baekhyun complained, making Jongin grin.

 “Habit or something, I guess,” he said, shrugging as he moved over to stand next to Baekhyun, also looking out through the window. “We walk softly in both forms.”

 “But you’re both so tall? Aren’t tall people supposed to be clumsy?” Baekhyun asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

 Snickering, Jongin looked down at Baekhyun, raising one eyebrow.

 “Because short people are so graceful?” he said, and Baekhyun pursed his lips.

 “You surprised me, and I only hurt my knee. If I was clumsy, it would have been worse. Like slipping and falling over, hitting my head, or something.”

 Jongin shrugged, smiling. “Might be true. But hybrids are not exactly identical to humans when in human form, so it’s not that strange that we keep some of our grace. Muscles and nerves are connected to the brain, and that doesn’t change, so we still have the same instincts and reactions. More or less.”

 “Huh. Really? That’s pretty neat,” Baekhyun said, absorbing every word. It was pretty safe to say that he did not know much about hybrids, but he wanted to know more. Especially now that he had one himself.

 “Yepp. That’s why we need more meat than a normal human as well, since our digestive system doesn’t change that much either. We still need the same nutrients and stuff, but we can handle more of what humans eat. I don’t know much about it all, but that’s basically it.”

 Baekhyun nodded, hanging on to every word with interest, not noticing that Chanyeol entered the kitchen carrying the bacon plate until the taller came up behind him and put the plate down in the sink, wrapping his fluffy tail around Baekhyun’s waist.

 “Why are you standing here talking?” Chanyeol asked, pouting, as he put his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

 “Oh, I was going to drink some water, and then we started to talk about hybrids,” Baekhyun said, leaning his head back so he could look up at Chanyeol. “It’s really interesting, and I need to know at least the basics so I can take care of you!”

 “I can take care of myself,” Chanyeol muttered, looking away from Baekhyun.

 “I know, I didn’t mean like that,” Baekhyun said, puffing out his cheeks. “I meant like making sure I cook food that you can actually eat without getting poisoned, or know if you will get super sick if I get slightly sick, and allergies and stuff like that. And Jonginnie answered my questions- Wait. Where did he go?”

 Baekhyun looked around, but he could not find the black-haired man anywhere. Chanyeol shrugged as he glanced over towards the door opening.

 “He left a while ago and got Kyungsoo, they’re going out the door now,” Chanyeol answered, and just as he said that, Baekhyun heard the door click open before closing again.

 “But why?” Baekhyun asked, frowning. “They didn’t even say goodbye?”

 “I don’t know,” Chanyeol mumbled, before tilting his head and putting his cheek on top of Baekhyun’s hair. “Ugh, I’m so tired of my human form, I wish I could change back…”

 Baekhyun held himself still to let Chanyeol lean against him, patting one of the arms that had slid down and hung in front of him.

 “You can’t change back?” Baekhyun asked, and felt Chanyeol shake his head. Or more like moved it slightly back and forth, since he still had it on top of Baekhyun’s.

 “Apparently not,” Chanyeol answered, letting out a sigh that had Baekhyun’s hair flutter down into his eyes. “I think since it’s my first time changing, it might be a bit irregular until I manage to control it. So please don’t hit me again…”

 Baekhyun let out a snorting chuckle, gently slapping one of Chanyeol’s hands.

 “I told you I was sorry about it…”

 Chanyeol let out a rumbling laugh that vibrated through Baekhyun, making him grin as well.

 “I know, I forgive you. I was quite surprised as well,” Chanyeol mumbled, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Baekhyun’s head. “I’m tired…”

 “Want to watch some TV?” Baekhyun suggested, but it was really an excuse for cuddle time.

 Whenever Baekhyun sat down in the sofa to watch some TV, Chanyeol would come running, knowing he would gets pats and scratches behind his ears underneath his chin if he curled up in Baekhyun’s lap.

 Almost before Baekhyun had finished his question, he was being pulled away from the kitchen and into the living room, Chanyeol having wrapped his arms around him and started to walk. The taller was sing-songing ‘Cuddle, cuddle, cuddle!’ the whole way, and it was extremely adorable.

 Entering the living room, Baekhyun found himself being pushed into the sofa, before Chanyeol lied down with his head in his lap, curling up as well as he could with his large body on the not as large sofa. Chuckling softly, Baekhyun began to pet Chanyeol’s hair, moving to scratch behind the large, white ears, a low purr letting him know that it was nice.

 And like that they sat for a long time, Baekhyun watching the TV and absently petting and scratching, Chanyeol napping and purring. Just like they had every day up until now. And when Chanyeol suddenly changed back into a cat, making Baekhyun jerk slightly, he just climbed up into Baekhyun’s lap to properly cuddle again.

 

 Life once more settled into something resembling normalcy, though it was broken every now and then by Chanyeol’s sudden changes back and forth. He was starting to get control over it, being able to change into whatever form he wished most of the time, but it was not perfect. Baekhyun was honestly just glad he did not end up with a hybrid with the upper body of a cat and the lower body of a human, or something like that. Because that would have been terrifying.

 Apparently, water was just as scary in human form as in cat form, and just as hard for Baekhyun to force Chanyeol into the shower. One would think that the lack of claws and sharp teeth would result in less injuries, but unfortunately not. Long limbs and a strong will ended up creating almost more injuries, and Baekhyun seriously began to think that he prefered scratches and bite marks instead of bruises and sore body parts.

 But what really put the nail in the coffin was when their tugging fight ended in Baekhyun falling backwards in the shower, narrowly missing hitting his head against the tiles as he instead sacrificed his shoulder and hand to catch himself.

 Accidentally biting his cheek from the pain shooting up his arm from his wrist, Baekhyun tasted blood as he slumped down in the tub, cradling his injured limb against his chest as he tried to hold back both screams and tears.

 “Baek!” came Chanyeol’s panicked voice, before large hands fluttered against Baekhyun’s shoulders and arms, quickly pulling back as Baekhyun hissed from the pain of a touch. “I am so, so sorry!”

 Unable to form words at the moment, Baekhyun just shook his head, screwing his eyes shut. He just needed a moment to collect himself, to get control over his surprised heart. It was that - the surprise - that was the worst part about it all. The pain he could handle, his wrist was not broken (though it might have a crack in it, Baekhyun did not know), so that was okay, but the surprise… The surprise made him feel weak and made his heart beat irregularly.

 “You can’t sit here, Baek, let’s get you up,” Chanyeol said, sadness tinting his voice, and Baekhyun felt a bit bad about it.

 Dragging in a deep breath through his nose, the tenseness finally began to let go of his body, and Baekhyun felt himself calm down little by little.

 “It’s fine, Yeol, it was an accident,” was the first thing Baekhyun said as his tongue began to work again. “It just surprised me, I’m fine.”

 Chanyeol looked at him with large worried eyes, ears slanted and hands clenched into fists.

 “You’re not fine, your wrist is injured,” Chanyeol said in a quiet voice, eyes glancing down at said wrist. “It’s already starting to swell. I’m sorry…”

 “Stop it, it’s fine, it was an accident,” Baekhyun repeated in a stern voice, pinning Chanyeol with a glare. “I’m not going to play into you pitying yourself whilst having an aching wrist, so stop that pouting right now, young mister!”

 Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun in surprise, jaw going slack.

 “I-I wasn’t pitying myself! I’m sorry about injuring you, but I’m not pitying myself!” he exclaimed, and Baekhyun pursed his lips, though there was a small smile on them.

 “If you’re not pitying yourself, then stop yapping about it and help me up,” Baekhyun said, moving forwards a little bit. “My legs feel like jelly so I don’t know if I can stand…”

 As soon as he was close enough, Baekhyun felt arms slide in beneath him, before he was hoisted up into the air. Chanyeol had apparently decided that the best thing to do was to carry Baekhyun out, bridal style.

 “Let me down right now! I can walk on my own with just a bit of support, this is unnecessary!” Baekhyun protested, voice going a few octaves higher from the fear as he clung to Chanyeol’s neck with his good arm.

 He really did not like being carried, and adding the fact that he was just in his underwear (he learned a long time ago that it was stupid to try to bathe Chanyeol whilst still dressed, because he would end up bathing as well) did not make the situation better.

 But Chanyeol merely snorted and rolled his eyes, hoisting Baekhyun a bit higher in his arms.

 “You carry me around all the time, let me carry you now,” he said, and Baekhyun pouted.

 “But that’s in your cat form, and you don’t mind that!” Baekhyun whined, but by now, they were already in the bedroom, and he found himself gently put down on top of his bed. “Oh, thank god…”

 “My name is Chanyeol, actually,” Chanyeol said, though the joke was slightly ruined by the grin he was trying hard to hold back.

 “You are so stupid,” Baekhyun deadpanned, before getting up and walking over to his closet. “And that joke is not funny -  _ ever _ !”

 “It totally is…,” Chanyeol muttered with a pout as he joined Baekhyun by the closet. “What are you going to wear? I probably need to help you get dressed as well…”

 Baekhyun snorted at this, but a few minutes later, he had to admit defeat. Huffing and red-faced, Baekhyun handed over the duty of getting him dressed to a chuckling Chanyeol.

 “I don’t mind helping you, just because you’re my owner it doesn’t mean I can’t help you as well,” Chanyeol hummed as he helped Baekhyun get both legs into his jeans and then pulled them up. “It doesn’t have to be only you helping me.”

 Chanyeol had been doing up Baekhyun’s zipper whilst talking, and at the last word, he was done, leaning forwards and placing a soft peck on Baekhyun’s lips. Both men froze a second later, staring at each other with almost equally large eyes.

 It was not as if this was something new, Baekhyun had gotten a few kitten pecks from Chanyeol before - the key word being ‘kitten’, though. It had always happened whilst Chanyeol had been in his cat form, and always in a platonic kind of way (since Baekhyun was pretty sure he was not into bestiality. No, he was very sure, actually). So in a way, this was not a new thing, but at the same time, it was something very new.

 “I-I’m so-sorry,” Chanyeol stammered after a few minutes had went past, cheeks going a deep red, and Baekhyun was probably matching him.

 “Uh, no, it’s okay,” Baekhyun managed to get out, his heart fluttering madly in his chest. “I don’t mind? I-I mean, huh?”

 Chanyeol blinked a few times, his cheeks still red and one of his hands still on Baekhyun’s hip.

 “Can… Can I do it again?” he whispered, and all Baekhyun could do was nod.

 More slowly this time, Chanyeol leaned forwards and pressed their lips together, and keeping them there, still so softly and a bit hesitantly. It was Baekhyun who tilted his head to fit their lips together better, getting up on the tip of his toes and putting his good hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder to stabilize himself. Chanyeol wrapped both of his arms around Baekhyun and pulled him close, making sure he did not fall, and Baekhyun was grateful. One fall was enough for one day.

 When they pulled back, both were a bit winded, but both sported soft smiles.

 “That kinda makes up for making me fall,” Baekhyun breathed, before realizing the double meaning, chuckling. “Oh, well, for both the shower and in love, I guess.”

 Chanyeol gave a big grin before nuzzling his face against Baekhyun’s neck and purring, making Baekhyun laugh softly as Chanyeol’s soft hair tickled him.

 

 And that was the story of how a boy tried to save a cat and accidentally fell in love with a hybrid.


	2. Bonus Chapter - Kyungsoo and Jongin's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo manages to find the most apprehensive cat in the entire shelter, and decides to adopt it and love it like no one else. That the cat loves him back like no one else is an added benefit.

 “You’re here looking for a cat, huh? Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll be able to find a kitten that’s perfect for you!”

 Fifteen-year-old Kyungsoo looked up at the overly excited woman who were currently cooing down at him, not liking her at all. He knew he looked cute, with his large eyes and full lips making him look so innocent, but it was starting to get on his nerves. No matter where he went,  _ everyone _ cooed over him and called him adorable, like a small child, and Kyungsoo did not like the attention. It was no surprise he had a quiet personality, judging each person he came across in silence as they continued to follow the same pattern.

 “He’s not very talkative,” Kyungsoo’s mom said, knowing without having to look at Kyungsoo that he disliked the situation. Being the source of Kyungsoo’s cute genes, she understood her son all too well.

 “Oh, okay,” the woman - owner of the shelter - said as she straightened up again, motioning for a door. “We keep the animals back here, if you would follow me, please.”

 This shelter did not smell nearly as bad as the last one Kyungsoo and his mom had been to, and Kyungsoo was thankful. It meant that the animals were hopefully being taken better care of here.

 “We don’t have as many cats here anymore, seeing as there have been an incline in adoptions lately,” the owner explained as they walked past cages of dogs, barking and whining after them, tugging on each and every of Kyungsoo’s heartstrings. He wished he could take them all away and take care of them, but that was a very impractical wish, and he was here for a cat, anyway.

 “How nice,” Kyungsoo’s mom said with a smile, making Kyungsoo roll his eyes. He did not understand the need for small talk, they were here to find a cat to adopt, and that was that.

 “Indeed! We were taking in too many animals, to the point of almost unfortunately having to euthanize the ones less fit, but thankfully we’re now down to much more manageable levels. Ah, here we are, here are our cats! Are you looking for a kitten, or an older one?”

 “It’s all up to Kyungsoo, he’s the one who’s picking it out,” Kyungsoo’s mom answered, smiling at her son, who was looking at the different cats.

 “Of course, of course,” the owner said, also smiling at Kyungsoo, before she began to point towards different cats. “I would suggest a kitten, as you would be able to grow up with it, and you could become friends! We have kittens with long fur, like this one here, or maybe you want one with a bit shorter fur? Longer fur needs more work, but it also makes for cuter cats! This white one just recently came in, and I’m sure it’ll soon get adopted, but you’re the first to look at-”

 “What about this one?” Kyungsoo asked, pointing towards one of the cages.

 In it, a black and small cat was lying rolled up in one corner, looking as if it was asleep, but with both yellow eyes open and alertly following Kyungsoo’s every move.

 “Oh, that one… He’s been here for quite a while now,” the owner said as she walked over to where Kyungsoo was standing, a strange smile on her lips. “Black cats are not that popular to adopt because of superstitions, and this one… Has quite the temper. He doesn’t like to be petted and fussed over, and so he’s not really that attractive to adopters.”

 “Like me, then,” Kyungsoo mumbled, looking at the black cat for a few more seconds, before turning to his mom. “I’ve found the cat I want.”

 “Are you sure?” the owner exclaimed, obviously shocked by Kyungsoo’s choice. “You don’t want any of the other cute kittens? We don’t know how old this cat is, and suspect he might be a hybrid, but we can’t be sure until he’s old enough to shift, and that means a whole lot extra work.”

 Kyungsoo ignored the owner, looking at his mom with fiery determination in his eyes.

 “You will take the best care of it no matter what, I know that, so I guess we’ll take it,” Kyungsoo’s mom said, and her son offered her a sweet heart-shaped smile. “This is the cat, then.”

 “If you’re sure,” the owner said weakly, and Kyungsoo nodded.

 He was sure. And ten minutes later, he was walking out of the shelter with a small, black cat in a cat carrier.

 

 They had a rough start, Kyungsoo and the cat - now named Jongin. It was obvious that Jongin did not trust humans, lashing out if Kyungsoo got too close too quickly, but Kyungsoo was nothing if not stubborn.

 One week after Kyungsoo brought Jongin home, Jongin got close enough to sniff the hand Kyungsoo was holding out towards him, but scurrying away as soon as Kyungsoo tried to reach out. One week after this, Jongin allowed Kyungsoo to pet him whilst eating, and half a week later, he got close enough so that Kyungsoo could pet him without any distractions.

 Kyungsoo made sure to talk to Jongin, mumbling about his day in school, or about whatever stupid thing Baekhyun had decided to do, and it did not take long before the cat seemed to grow used to it, sitting a bit away from Kyungsoo but listening intently.

 The first time Jongin had gone up and rubbed himself against Kyungsoo’s leg, Kyungsoo had almost dropped the small bag with wet food he was about to give the cat, almost shocked to tears. It was a big step, after all, and Kyungsoo fiercely promised that this would become normal for them.

 Three months after Kyungsoo had taken Jongin with him home, Kyungsoo accidentally fell down from a tree and broke his arm. Arriving home from the hospital, a bit groggy from the medicine and with the pain starting to return in full force again, Kyungsoo had immediately buried himself underneath his cover. Jongin, who had been waiting for the daily update and received only hushed sobs, had jumped up into Kyungsoo’s bed and bumped his head against Kyungsoo’s cheek, purring in an attempt to calm the crying boy down.

 And even though the headbutt had hurt slightly, Kyungsoo had been too happy about Jongin finally cuddling with him, that he had stopped crying and instead focused on patting the purring little engine that had snuggled into his neck.

 An hour later, when Kyungsoo’s dad had gone to check on his son, he had found him fast asleep, with Jongin curled against his chest. Quickly, he had fetched his wife and their camera, as quietly as possible snapping a picture of the sweet moment.

 

 After that, Kyungsoo and Jongin quickly became inseparable, even as Kyungsoo’s arm healed. Jongin no longer had any problems with being petted by Kyungsoo, apparently having gained full trust for the boy, even going so far as to let Baekhyun feel his soft fur for a little bit as the other had come visit. Baekhyun had been starstruck, and gone home and tried to convince his parents to get a cat. It had not gone too well, as his parents did not feel like they had the time to take care of an animal.

 Jongin began to sleep in Kyungsoo’s bed, quickly finding his place curled up between Kyungsoo’s stomach and thighs, as Kyungsoo prefered to sleep in fetal position. It became normal for Kyungsoo to fall asleep to Jongin’s purring, and he could not have been happier.

 The years went past, and four years later, when Kyungsoo turned nineteen, he moved out of his parents house and into his own apartment, of course bringing Jongin with him. Baekhyun moved into the same apartment building, and they attended university together.

 Of course, Kyungsoo never forgot what the owner had said, that Jongin might be a hybrid, and he had spent quite a lot of time researching until he was sure he would know what to do if Jongin shifted one day.

 But no matter how much you prepared with theoretical knowledge, you might not actually be practically prepared, and you never know just  _ how _ you will react to something like your cat shifting into a human.

 

 It was a Saturday evening, and Baekhyun had just gone home after having intruded on Kyungsoo’s dinner. The silly-grinning boy had a tendency to show up around mealtimes on the weekends (unless he went home to visit his parents), and Kyungsoo had since long ago stopped caring. In the end, a cat was not the most social company, and sometimes it felt nice actually having a conversation with someone. And there were worse conversational partners than Byun Baekhyun, even though Kyungsoo certainly would never admit this to Baekhyun.

 Kyungsoo was putting away the dish, Jongin perched on the bench next to him, when there suddenly was a loud ‘thud’ and a hiss as Kyungsoo bent down to pick another plate up.

 Quickly straightening, Kyungsoo’s eyes widened as he took in the black-haired guy sitting on the bench, long legs hanging down over the edge, cradling his head in his hands. A head sporting two black cat ears.

 “J-Jongin?” Kyungsoo exclaimed, voice reaching too-high and breaking a bit.

 “Mm?” the guy mumbled, blinking up at Kyungsoo with tears in his eyes, before his eyes widened.

 Gasping, he removed his hands from his head to hold them in front of his face, carefully examining them, whilst Kyungsoo crushed the plate against his chest, feeling a bit faint.

 He thought he had been prepared for if Jongin would shift, but Kyungsoo did not feel prepared anywhere. Especially not over the fact that Jongin apparently shifted into a  _ naked _ human being.

_ Uh, duh, what did you expect, clothes? _ , Kyungsoo’s mind whispered to him, and Kyungsoo had to agree that that was a pretty stupid thing to expect and freak out over.

 “I-I shifted?” Jongin breathed, voice much darker than Kyungsoo had imagined. In his cat shape, Jongin had a pretty high meow, but his human voice was on the whole other side of the spectrum. “Oh, god, why is it so cold?”

 “Maybe because you’re naked?” Kyungsoo deadpanned, and Jongin looked down.

 “Oh, right… Humans have no fur…,” Jongin mumbled, chewing on his lower lip.

 Kyungsoo had many times tried to imagine what Jongin in his human form would look like, and not a single thing had he gotten right. He had imagined Jongin to be maybe slightly shorter than himself, with round cat-like eyes and thin lips, cute like a younger brother. But the real Jongin looked nothing like that. His eyes were the same yellow color as when in cat form, but they were not as round, though still giving off the same intelligent and supervisory vibe. His cheekbones were high and sharp, and his jaw was strong, balanced by the softness of plump lips that could rival Kyungsoo’s own.

 And Jongin seemed to be quite tall, seeing as how he was looking pretty cramped sitting hunched over on the bench, and had obviously hit his head on the cabinet above him. This was further proved by the sheer length of his legs, and a spark of jealousy flared inside of Kyungsoo.

 Yes, Kyungsoo might have a small complex about his height, but it was not something he liked to talk about. Surprisingly, or not.

 “Wow, so many colors,” Jongin suddenly said, looking around as if to take everything in, before he turned back to Kyungsoo. “Are you okay, Soo?”

 At the use of his nickname, Kyungsoo blushed and nodded, shakily putting the plate down on the kitchen table behind him.

 “I’m just… Shocked?” he said, and dragged a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. “I just need a moment…”

 This was fine, this was okay, there was always a possibility that Jongin was a hybrid, no need to freak out at all-

 “Uhm, before you take that moment, do you mind finding something for me to wear? I don’t mind the nudity, but it is pretty cold…,” Jongin said, interrupting Kyungsoo’s thoughts.

 Somehow, it broke the tension, and Kyungsoo burst out laughing. At first, Jongin looked a bit shocked and peeved, but soon a small smile broke out on his lips.

 “I’m sorry, yeah, wait, I’ll see if I have something,” Kyungsoo said after he had calmed down a little bit. “Don’t hope on much more than an improvised toga, though, you look a bit taller than me.”

 In the end, Kyungsoo’s preference for too-large clothes proved a blessing, as he managed to find a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie large enough to fit Jongin. And when the hybrid had been dressed, Kyungsoo felt a bit better.

 “If I remember correctly,” Kyungsoo said as he sat down in the sofa across from Jongin, staring intently on the other, “you’ll have a hard time shifting back and forth in the beginning, and might also spontaneously shift every now and then. It shouldn’t take more than a week until it starts to stabilize, though, so you just have to hold out for a few days.”

 Jongin nodded, looking so much younger and more innocent with a hoodie up over his head, and wrapped in a blanket. Apparently he was still cold, but Kyungsoo guessed it took some time getting used to having fur for protection, and then just bare skin.

 “Something like that, yes, I remember as well. You used to read it out loud to me,” Jongin said, smiling softly, and Kyungsoo groaned.

 “Oh, shit, right… I used to talk to you about everything, so embarrassing…,” Kyungsoo muttered, hiding his face in his hands.

 “You still do, it’s a habit,” Jongin chuckled, making Kyungsoo cringe even more. “Don’t worry, it’s not like you told me overly embarrassing things. You mostly complained about Baekhyun being loud and stupid, or about how boring Math was, since you always finished ahead of everyone else and weren’t allowed to start working on the next chapter. Oh, wait, there was that one time, when you came home and talked nonstop about how  _ cool _ Baekhyun’s friend Heechul was. Got me a bit jealous, since I’m your cat, I’m the only one you’re allowed to cuddle.”

 “Ew, I never wanted to cuddle Heechul!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, but he could not keep the smile from growing behind his hands.

 “Sure,” Jongin snorted, wiggling around in the sofa until he could lie down with his head in Kyungsoo’s lap. “Why do you think Baekhyun didn’t let you meet him anymore?”

 “I idolized him, because he sang well, I didn’t have a crush on him,” Kyungsoo argued, finally removing his hands to look down at Jongin.

 “If you say so, I’ll just have to believe you,” Jongin mumbled, pushing himself up to quickly press his lips against Kyungsoo’s, the touch featherlight but enough to make Kyungsoo’s heart flutter.

 “Of course,” Kyungsoo muttered, cheeks ablaze, but Jongin did not seem to notice as he settled down and seemed to promptly fall asleep.

 

 Life after that day went back to a sort of normal. It took four days before Jongin’s shifting stabilized, and not a second too soon for Kyungsoo, who had suffered a few bruises from the sudden changing. He even went as far as putting a temporary ban on cat Jongin lying on his chest, after a particularly violent accident involving Kyungsoo’s chin and Jongin’s head.

 But after that, Jongin managed to get it more or less under control, and things settled down. Well, with a few exceptions, like Kyungsoo’s heart which refused to calm down each and every time Jongin would give him a peck. It got worse whenever the peck ended up on Kyungsoo’s lips, and Jongin would always coo over the adorable pink blush that appeared across Kyungsoo’s cheeks. There was not many people who could make Kyungsoo blush, but Jongin seemed exceptional at it.

 “Not my fault that you look so adorable that I can’t help myself,” Jongin said once when Kyungsoo whined over Jongin’s teasing. “You look the best in the blush I summon beneath your skin.”

 Blushing even harder over the words, Kyungsoo found himself not minding it as much anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, how could I not write a bonus chapter showing KaiSoo's relationship story? Impossible!  
> But, uh, yeah, here it is, sappy and fluffy and silly and everything!


	3. Bonus Chapter - Winter Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KaiSoo invite BaekYeol on a winter holiday!

 As the first snow fell in the beginning of December, Baekhyun and Chanyeol found themselves in Kyungsoo and Jongin’s apartment, playing games and drinking hot chocolate (all of them drinking the hybrid-safe sort, none wanting to bothering with making two different sorts of chocolate).

 “Oh, right, so my parents let me borrow the cabin, and we were wondering if you guys wanted to join us on a mini vacation?” Kyungsoo casually threw out in the middle of it, making the three other men stop and stare at him. “What?”

 Jongin was the first to regain his senses, giving a small pout.

 “I thought only we were going?” he asked, cat ears slanting down along with the corners of his mouth.

 “That was the plan, but why not invite them as well?” Kyungsoo said. “The more the merrier? I’m sure you’ll get bored of being with just me for a few days up there, so I thought we should ask them if they want to join us.”

 Baekhyun was just about to open his mouth to give some sort of reason that he and Chanyeol could not join, wanting to help poor Jongin out, but Chanyeol beat him to it.

 “A cabin? As in the forest?” Chanyeol asked, eyes sparkling and wide grin on his lips. “That sounds awesome! We can go, can’t we, Baek?”

 Both Chanyeol and Jongin were sending Baekhyun pleading looks, though they were completely different, and Baekhyun winced as he tried to decide what to do. In the end, though, Baekhyun’s heart was weak for Chanyeol’s pleas, and - sending Jongin an apologetic look - Baekhyun nodded at Chanyeol.

 “We can go, sure. I mean, why not?” Baekhyun answered, awkwardly laughing. Chanyeol just clapped his hands in happiness, as Kyungsoo sent Baekhyun a strange look, and Jongin let his head fall to the table with a loud (and unhappy) thunk. “When are we going?”

 

 A week later, they all packed themselves into Kyungsoo’s parents car, which he had borrowed just for the occasion. Baekhyun knew that Kyungsoo’s family were pretty well-off, but he had not expected such a nice car to be the one they let Kyungsoo borrow. Now, Baekhyun did not know much about cars, but it looked very nice, and that was all he needed to know.

 “It’ll take some time to get to the cabin, so sleep all you want. I’ll make a stop at a rest stop so we can stretch our legs and get some food,” Kyungsoo said as he strapped himself in (and checked half-asleep Jongin’s seatbelt), glancing back at Baekhyun and Chanyeol in the backseat. “And please don’t do anything back there, even though it might not seem like it, I can see  _ everything _ in the rear mirror. So just don’t.”

 Baekhyun’s entire face lit up in red, but thankfully Chanyeol was too occupied with looking around in the small space he suddenly was in. This was the first time he had been in a car, after all, and even though he had been on the bus before, the two vehicles were not the same.

 For one, the bus was much larger and did not feel as cramped for his small frame. But on the other hand, he did not have to share this cramped place with a lot of other people, so even though it was cramped, he still had a lot of space to himself. Though he was not sure he liked sitting so far away from Baekhyun, only being able to hold the shorter’s hand when he wanted to be comforted.

 Pouting, Chanyeol realized that this would be a  _ long _ ride, as Kyungsoo started the car and they drove off.

 

 Baekhyun was brutally roused from his light (pfft) sleep by the car coming to a sudden stop. Sitting up, he wiped the side of his mouth (yes, he might have a tendency to drool), looking around in confusion.

 “Sorry, a kid just ran out in front of me,” Kyungsoo mumbled in a tense voice, and, looking at him, Baekhyun could see the tension in his shoulders.

 “No worries, better me than the kid,” Baekhyun said, yawning. “Where are we?”

 “At the rest stop,” Kyungsoo answered as he carefully maneuvered the car into an empty pocket and parked. “Anyone hungry?”

 At the mention of eating, Jongin quickly woke up and sat up, looking way too alert for someone who had just been in a deeper sleep than Baekhyun, and definitely way more composed than Baekhyun feels.

 “What about you, Yeol, hungry?” Baekhyun asked in a soft voice as he turned to smile at the giant next to him, but his face quickly falls. “Chanyeol, are you okay?”

 Chanyeol is sitting with his back straight, empty eyes staring out his window and a cramped hold on Baekhyun’s hand. It was such a strong grip that Baekhyun’s hand had numbed, leading to him not noticing it.

 As Baekhyun addressed him, Chanyeol slowly turned around, a small pout on his lips.

 “I don’t like cars…,” Chanyeol breathed, and the situation somehow made Baekhyun burst out laughing. “Why are you laughing at me?”

 “I’m sorry,” Baekhyun wheezed. “It’s just… You look so destroyed and cute, I couldn’t help myself! But nevermind that, let’s get you out of this mean car, okay?”

 “I’m not a child,” Chanyeol muttered, but the growing pout on his lips did nothing to reinforce his words.

 Snickering to himself, Baekhyun quickly got out and headed over to Chanyeol’s side, helping him hold the door open so it would not slam into the other car next to them. Muttering to himself, Chanyeol more or less stumbled out of the car, his legs wobbly and trembling.

 “If you want to travel the next stretch in cat form, Jongin’s carrier is in the back,” Kyungsoo offered from where he stood behind the car, Jongin next to him, waiting for Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

 “Uh, no thank you,” Chanyeol answered, mirroring the shiver that Jongin gave. “It’s fine, I’m fine.”

 “I think it’ll get even better with some food,” Baekhyun chuckled as he put his arm around Chanyeol’s waist to support the taller, as they walked towards the restaurant.

 Chanyeol hummed in agreement as he slipped an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders,  _ finally _ getting the reassuring closeness he had longed for since the start of the trip, his heart finally starting to calm down a bit.

 

 When they got inside, they quickly noticed that there was a  _ lot _ of other people apparently travelling the roads. Not as many as it would probably be in the next few weeks, but enough to make it slightly difficult to find free tables.

 “We’ll guard the table, so you guys go order food,” Kyungsoo said as they managed to find a table to fit them all, that were on the edge were not too many people sat.

 Nodding, Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol with him towards the long line leading to the food court.

 “Let’s decide on what we want to eat now, so we don’t take up too much time later,” Baekhyun suggested as Chanyeol stepped behind him and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s shoulder, leaning his cheek on top of Baekhyun’s head, as Baekhyun went through the different dishes.

 After a few minutes, Chanyeol’s arms became a bit slack around Baekhyun, and his head a bit heavier, and Baekhyun gave an amused smile.

 “Yeol? You can’t fall asleep here,” Baekhyun said softly, nudging the taller with his elbow and getting a low hum in return. “You can sleep later in the car, but not in the restaurant.”

 “I’m not sleeping, I’m resting,” came Chanyeol’s deep voice. “Completely different things. The car stressed me out, you un-stress me.”

 Baekhyun’s heart grew a little bit at those words, pushing into his lungs and constricting his breathing, and making the blood gather in his cheeks.

 “As long as you don’t fall over,” Baekhyun muttered, trying to hide how wildly his heart was beating. Chanyeol probably heard it, since he had such great hearing, or felt it, since he was standing so close.

 “But then you’ll catch me, right?” Chanyeol said, smile evident in his voice. “You’ve done it once already.”

 “When?” Baekhyun asked, a bit confused, since he was pretty sure he had never caught Chanyeol as he was falling…

 “You caught me when I fell for you.”

 Baekhyun’s face could now probably act as a stop sign, considering how hard he was blushing.

 “Oh my god, you’re so stupid…,” Baekhyun muttered, even though he by now had given up on hiding his embarrassment.

 Chanyeol gave a weird giggle as he nuzzled his nose into Baekhyun’s hair and hugged him closer, and Baekhyun kind of forgave him for making him blush like that.

 After all, Baekhyun did love the cheesiness almost as much as he loved Chanyeol, and that was a lot.

 

 Having ordered their food, Baekhyun and Chanyeol came back to the sight of Jongin sleeping leaned on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, Kyungsoo absently playing with the hybrids soft hair and ears. When Baekhyun and Chanyeol sat down, Kyungsoo gently nudged Jongin awake and dragged him away, still half-sleeping, towards the line.

 “I don’t understand how Jonginnie can sleep everywhere,” Baekhyun mumbled as he watched the tall man manage to keep himself steady on his feet even though he seemed far from fully awake still. “Is that a cat thing?”

 Chanyeol shook his head as he scooted his chair closer to Baekhyun and put his head on the shorter’s shoulder.

 “Nah, he’s just special,” Chanyeol snickered. “I wouldn’t even be able to doze of in here, too many stranger. Even though I have you close, so that’s saying something.”

 “What do you mean?” Baekhyun asked, turning his full attention to Chanyeol.

 “I mean that you make me feel comfortable to fall asleep quickly and even with a few strangers around, and that’s hard for me to do. But in here - not a chance. Too many potential threats,” Chanyeol explained.

 “Oh,” Baekhyun breathed, cheeks tinted pink again.

 Sitting up straight, Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun and grinned.

 “You look so cute when blushing,” Chanyeol said, making Baekhyun sputter nonsense as he pulled Chanyeol’s head back down onto his shoulder, cheeks burning warmer.

 

 After lunch was consumed, they all packed themselves into the car again for the last half of the journey, Baekhyun deciding on sitting in the middle of the backseat even though it is the most uncomfortable seat.

 “You don’t have to sit there for my sake, Baek,” Chanyeol weakly protested for the fiftieth time, but Baekhyun merely slapped a hand over his mouth to silence him as Kyungsoo maneuvered them out of the parking lot and onto the road again.

 “You’re uncomfortable in cars, and I can help soothe you, so why not help do that?” Baekhyun argued, not removing his hand since he knew Chanyeol would just try to argue back. “It’s my decision, Yeol, and now I’m here, so just accept it, okay?”

 Baekhyun more felt than saw Chanyeol’s lips curve downwards, but he offered him a smile back.

 “I was comfortable enough to sleep for the first half, now I can be slightly uncomfortable for the second half,” Baekhyun said, pulling his hand back. “Don’t worry so much about it, okay?”

 Instead of answering, Chanyeol just plopped his head down on Baekhyun’s shoulder, one of his ears tickling Baekhyun’s cheek.

 

 Baekhyun blinked his eyes open, and the first thing he noticed was how much his neck was hurting.

 The second thing he noticed, though, made him forget all about his neck.

 “Snow! A lot of it!” Baekhyun exclaimed, making Chanyeol jerk next to him, and Kyungsoo sent him an amused look in the rear mirror.

 “Yes, a lot of snow. We’re getting close,” Kyungsoo said as he slowed down, and turned onto a smaller road that went straight into the forest.

 It was beautiful, evergreens covered in snow crowding around the small road they traveled down, sparkling white and deep green everywhere you looked, and a splash of blue from the glimpses of sky you sometime got. Baekhyun watched with happy fascination, and even Chanyeol looked happier than he had throughout most of the trip.

 “You can see the cabin now,” Kyungsoo said, and sure enough, a small wooden house slowly came into view in front of them.

 “Whoa!” both Baekhyun and Chanyeol breathed, mouths falling open.

 It was beautiful and picturesque, the kind of lodge you would mostly probably imagine whilst thinking of a cabin in the snow-covered woods, fitting perfectly into the environment. Baekhyun was quite happy he had agreed on going, since he would probably not spend a few nights in a place like this too many times in his life. Maybe he should try to convince Kyungsoo to have a reunion together every winter up here…

 “Welcome to the cabin!” Kyungsoo exclaimed as he parked the car, beaming with his famous heart-shaped smile on full power. He was obviously happy to be here, and he was not the only one. Jongin, who had been relaxing in his seat, was now sitting up straight and reaching for his seatbelt to unbuckle and get out. “The electricity and heating should be on, but stay in the car while I go checking so you don’t freeze, I’ll be right back!”

 Turning off the car, Kyungsoo quickly jumped out of it, all three men left in it shivering from the small exposure to the cold air. Since they had spent such long time in the car, none were wearing jackets, and therefore no one was prepared for the chilliness. Their jackets were quite quickly distributed as Kyungsoo ran over to the cabin and went in, knowing they would soon have to brave the winter outside.

 A few minutes later, Kyungsoo returned, shivering, with his hands trying to rub some warmth into his arms since he had gone without his jacket. They all got out of the car, Jongin quickly helping Kyungsoo into his own jacket.

 “Everything is on, let’s get the stuff inside,” Kyungsoo said, nose turning red, as he headed for the car trunk.

 With the combined help from everyone, it only took one trip to get everything inside. Not that they had packed much to bring with them, since they were not staying long, but it was still some. Baekhyun sighed in relief as they stepped over the threshold, warmth quickly chasing away the slight cold from the short trip. He did not mind cold - as long as he was dressed for it, which he was not at the moment. He needed a hat, gloves and scarf to want to brave the cold again, and they were packed into his bag right now.

 After having put everything away in their appointed room, Baekhyun and Chanyeol joined Kyungsoo and Jongin in the cozy living room, complete with a fireplace.

 “Can we light it?” Baekhyun asked, nodding in the direction of the fireplace as he sat down in the sofa across from the one Kyungsoo and Jongin sat in, Chanyeol basically sprawled himself on top of Baekhyun immediately after. Out of habit, Baekhyun reached to pet the fluffy white ears on top of the giant’s head.

 “Sure, we can go get some wood for it later,” Kyungsoo said, smiling softly. “I mean, what is a winter holiday without a lit fireplace?”

 “I don’t know, I’ve never been on a winter holiday like this before,” Baekhyun breathed, looking around in the homely decorated room. “Can we go outside? Into the snow?”

 “I suggest we eat something before, since there’s probably going to be some playing,” Kyungsoo said, nodding towards the kitchen. “Jongin, do you mind?”

 Jongin, who had been lying with his head in Kyungsoo’s lap, one arm encircling Kyungsoo’s waist, sighed a little bit before heaving himself up enough for Kyungsoo to stand up, then falling back against the couch. Baekhyun lightly tapped Chanyeol’s head to be allowed to go as well, but Chanyeol held on for a little bit longer before finally pulling back.

 “What are we cooking?” Baekhyun asked as he jogged into the kitchen after Kyungsoo, the other turning with an amused look.

 “We? You can barely cook, Baek, I’d rather prefer you not burning the cabin down,” Kyungsoo teased, chuckling at Baekhyun’s pout. “We’re heating up some soup, so you might actually be able to help.”

 Ten minutes later, the soup was placed on the kitchen table by Kyungsoo, Baekhyun having burnt three fingers while helping. Chanyeol was cradling Baekhyun’s injured hand in one of his, blowing on it every now and then, and lightly massaging Baekhyun’s neck in comfort.

 “How are the both of you even surviving on your own?” Kyungsoo asked incredulously as he fetched some bread and put it on the table as well.

 “Baek is good at cooking, even if he gets a big preoccupied sometimes,” Chanyeol answered as he pulled Baekhyun closer. “He normally never hurts himself when cooking for us.”

 “Then why do you  _ always _ hurt yourself when cooking with me?” Kyungsoo asked, sounding even more confused as he sat down, Jongin sitting down next to him.

 “It’s because you look so scary when holding big knives,” Baekhyun muttered as Chanyeol ushered him to the table. “I don’t know, okay? It’s like a curse!”

 “Hey, there’s no truth to the black cat superstition!” Jongin protested, and Kyungsoo gently patted his shoulder.

 “Let’s just eat, shall we?” Kyungsoo suggested. “Then we can go out, and you can put your fingers in the snow, Baek. I’m sure they’ll feel better after that.”

 Baekhyun kept the pout on, but nodded, allowing Chanyeol to help him take some food.

 

 After having finished their meal, both couples went in search of the right gear for going out.

 With Baekhyun having gone out on a shopping spree a few days before, it was the first time for Chanyeol wearing his winter clothes, and Baekhyun could not stop squealing over the wrapped-up giant.

 “You’re like the human variant of the purrito!” Baekhyun exclaimed, both hands over his cheeks. “You look so cute, I need to take a picture of this!”

 Baekhyun was quite sure that Chanyeol was pouting at him, but it was hard to see with the scarf wrapped so high up Chanyeol’s face that it covered both mouth and nose. Looking a bit annoyed, Chanyeol pulled the scarf down so he could talk properly.

 “Maybe you should get dressed so we can go out, I’m dying in here,” he muttered, and Baekhyun laughed, reaching for his own jacket.

 “Okay, fine, but I still want a picture!”

 A few minutes later they were standing ready in the hallway, Jongin pushing the hat on Kyungsoo’s head a bit further down, before Kyungsoo opened the door and out they went. Almost immediately, Baekhyun ran past Kyungsoo with a loud yell, jumping belly-first straight into the snow and almost disappearing. Chanyeol rushed after and pulled the shorter - who was laughing ecstatically - out of the snow. Wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, Baekhyun managed to get the taller off-center and into the snow as well. Chanyeol came up sputtering and shaking his head like the cat he was, before a large grin appeared on his lips.

 Kyungsoo, who had been standing and watching the scene unfolding in front of him with an exasperated, yet gentle, smile, glanced over at Jongin, noting the smirk on the latter’s lips.

 “Oh, no, don’t you dare!” Kyungsoo said in a firm voice, holding up his hands, but Jongin ignored him and quickly picked Kyungsoo up, easily avoiding Kyungsoo’s attempts of keeping him away.

 His smirk growing into a grin, Jongin carried Kyungsoo with him down to where Baekhyun and Chanyeol were wrestling around, faking throwing Kyungsoo into the snow. And even though Baekhyun begged Jongin to throw Kyungsoo, Jongin merely tipped over on the side with Kyungsoo still securely in his arms.

 As soon as they were in the snow, Baekhyun and Chanyeol covered them in snow, shrill laughter piercing the cool air after Kyungsoo clawed his way out of the makeshift grave and set off after a screaming Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Jongin crying with laughter over how silly the two others looked trying to run around.

 “Penguins!” Chanyeol exclaimed, holding his aching stomach. “They look like waddling penguins!”

 In the end, Kyungsoo caught up to Baekhyun and pulled him down into the snow, scooping snow down the other’s jacket, before deeming his revenge satisfactory and releasing Baekhyun.

 “You’re so mean, Soo!” Baekhyun called out, standing up and trying to shake the snow out.

 “It was payback!” Kyungsoo called back as he made his way back over to Jongin, his back to Baekhyun so that the other could not see the large heart-shaped smile he was sporting.

 They fooled around some more, Chanyeol and Jongin holding an impromptu snowball match that ended after Kyungsoo got hit in the back and glared at them. But playing in the snow was hard work, and soon they were all too tired, deciding to fetch some wood for the fire, and then going inside.

 “Can we light the fire now?” Baekhyun asked as he took his jacket off, shivering a little bit as he began to cool down.

 “Sure, go change into dry clothes and I’ll get it started,” Kyungsoo answered, pulling his shoes off.

 “Okay,  _ dad _ ,” Baekhyun mocked, dodging the glove being thrown his way. “Don’t have to be so violent, I’ll go! I do love you for worrying about my well-being, though!”

 Kyungsoo just growled as Baekhyun ran away, wondering how he still had the energy to jump around after just having come inside after having played in the snow. But he was Baekhyun, after all - full of energy was his signature condition.

 After Baekhyun had changed, he returned to a living room that was slowly filling with a lovely warmth. Kyungsoo was sitting on one of the sofas, flipping through the channels lazily, and Chanyeol and Jongin - both now in cat forms - were lying sprawled in front of the fireplace.

 “Yeol, you can’t just drop your clothes in a pile like this,” Baekhyun said with a laugh as he came across Chanyeol’s clothes thrown aside behind one of the sofas.

 Said cat merely lifted his head to look at Baekhyun, before lying down again, and Baekhyun made a funny face in the cat’s direction. At least Kyungsoo appreciated it, chuckling, making Baekhyun smile towards him.

 Picking up the clothes, Baekhyun folded them and put them on the empty sofa, before he went over to the one Kyungsoo was sitting in and collapsing into a heap next to the other boy.

 “What are we watching?” Baekhyun asked as he put his cheek on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

 “Don’t know yet,” Kyungsoo answered, leaning his head against Baekhyun’s.

 Suddenly, there was a loud meow, and looking down, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo saw Chanyeol tripping closer.

 “Oh, so now I’m good enough, huh?” Baekhyun teased, shuffling closer to Kyungsoo. “Go back to the fire, I’m cuddling with Soo!”

 But Chanyeol just meowed again, and jumped up into Baekhyun’s lap, stepping around and then promptly lying down, even though Baekhyun was not sitting in the most optimal position for having a cat in his lap.

 “So insistent,” Baekhyun mumbled, but there was a soft smile on his lips as he began to pet Chanyeol.

 A few minutes later, after Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had settled on a movie, Jongin slowly came walking up to them, stretching his body out, before jumping up into the sofa and curling up next to Kyungsoo.

 “We’re like a happy little family,” Baekhyun chuckled, his rectangular smile bright, and Kyungsoo could not help but smile back.

 “Guess we kind of do look like that,” Kyungsoo agreed, and they got back to the movie.

 

 Two hours later, Baekhyun was almost drooling on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and Kyungsoo decided that it was time to go to bed.

 “But I want to show you something first,” he said, eyes twinkling as he motioned for Baekhyun to follow him to the hallway. “Put your clothes on.”

 Baekhyun yawned but did as he was told, and a few minutes later, he stood out on the porch, to the side of the door as per Kyungsoo’s request. Giggling to himself, Kyungsoo pulled a pen-shaped object out of his pocket, before he called for Jongin and Chanyeol.

 There were two ‘thump’s, and then both cats came into view, Jongin sitting down and giving a large yawn, whilst Chanyeol stretched his back and legs out. Kyungsoo pushed a button on the pen, and a red dot appeared, both cats immediately hyper focused on it. Kyungsoo moved the laser pointer, the red dot going towards the door, and both cats rushed over it, Baekhyun wincing slightly over the sound of claws on wooden floor.

 As soon as both cats were out in the snow, Baekhyun closed the door, and Kyungsoo dragged the red dot around in the snow, the cats chasing it. The sight of the black and the white cat jumping around in the snow, sometimes disappearing out of view before appearing again, was adorable, and Baekhyun could not keep from cooing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just happened, popped into my head and wouldn't leave until I wrote it out, so... x)


	4. Drabble - Commander Park

_ “Commander Park, we have located your target. We have uploaded it to your droid, fire when in range. Remember, the fate of the galaxy is in your hands!” _

_  Commander Park gave a sharp turn, ninety degrees to the left, and just merely avoided going straight into a ship so large he could not see the top of it. Continuing out towards more open space, Commander Park went past debris of former ships that had perished in this battle - they had all made sacrifices. But it was necessary, the Empire had to be defeated! _

_  “Commander Park, you’re getting closer now, do you have a visual?” _

_  Oh, yes, he had a visual on the  _ monstrous _ being in front of him, smashing every other ship getting near. How had the Empire managed to wake this  _ beast _? But the Commander had no time to worry about that now, he needed to fire and kill it, for the safety of the universe! _

_  But nothing happened as he pressed the buttons. _

_  “Your weapons are out of function! Abort mission, abort mission!” _

_  But Commander Park could not abort now, not when he was this close! He had to do something! ...And it would be his last sacrifice. _

_  “Commander Park, you need to abort now! You are on collision course! Abort!” _

_  Commander Park turned his comms off, and held on. Three seconds until collision. Two. One… _

 Bop!

 Baekhyun looked down as something collided with his ankles, a low whirring being heard. Confusion knit his brow at the strange scene in front of him.

 “Uhm, Yeollie, what are you doing on the vacuum?” Baekhyun asked.

 Chanyeol turned his head to look at Baekhyun, as the robot vacuum cleaner had already turned after having accidentally hit Baekhyun and was going into another direction. He gave a meow, before turning forwards again, as if focusing on a goal or something.

 Laughing, Baekhyun followed the slow-moving piece of machine, and picked Chanyeol up.

 “You’re so cute I can’t!” Baekhyun cooed, wrapping both arms around the large cat and pressing his lips just below one of his ears.

_ Forgive me, universe. Commander Park has been captured by the great beast, and failed his quest… _ , Chanyeol thought to himself, purring as Baekhyun cuddled him even more.  _ But maybe captivity is not so bad... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is Chanyeol as a cat pretending to be a Commander from the Rebellion, the robot vacuum his ship, and Baekhyun a great world-eater monster from the Empire x) I just got this idea in my head, and had to write it x) hope it reads just as cute as the image in my mind xD

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I write when I'm ultra soft :( like, ultra-ultra soft. And also, both Chanyeol and Jongin are inspired by my real life cats, so I basically have them running around me now, lol. Or, the white is running around meowing, the black is sleeping on the black mat (yes, he's almost impossible to see)!


End file.
